PRASAD Chikitsa's HIV/AIDS Programs

HIV/AIDS in India

HIV/AIDS threatens the lives of millions of people in India. According to recent estimates, there are 5.7 million HIV positive cases in India — the largest number after South Africa — and most of the people in the field agree that this is a gross underestimate.

In 2005, HIV/AIDS cost the Indian economy a staggering Rs 22,000 crore (4.8 billion USD). It's estimated that the disease could cut economic growth in India by as much as 40 percent by 2025.

In India, AIDS affects the most vulnerable and marginalized sections of society: people who are illiterate and poor and in no position to either take preventive measures or to seek effective treatment. Even worse, it hits them during their most productive years — those in the 15-35 age group account for a large percentage of new HIV infections.

HIV/AIDS in the Tansa Valley

The Tansa Valley in Maharashtra, India, is particularly vulnerable to HIV/AIDS for many reasons. Two major truck routes traverse the valley, and truck drivers are among the largest carriers of the disease. There's also a large mobile and migratory workforce because of the high concentration of industry in the region. The Tansa Valley is a tourist and pilgrimage area and has a significant local prostitution network.

These figures should give an idea of the scale of the problem in Tansa:

• In 2004 and again in 2005, there was a 62 percent increase in HIV-positive women from the previous year
• In 2004, the number of HIV-positive children more than doubled from the previous year
• In 2004 there were more than 130 HIV-infected or affected children, many of whom had lost both parents to the disease. The number today stands at 222 children.
• In 2005, four out of 220 pregnant women that PRASAD Chikitsa tested were HIV positive.

Since most of the people live below the poverty line, awareness is low, and patients are brought for treatment only when it is too late. Many also fall prey to opportunistic infections. The problem is compounded by the fact that HIV/AIDS care facilities are concentrated in the cities and not in rural areas such as Tansa.

PRASAD Chikitsa's HIV/AIDS Programs

PRASAD Chikitsa began its HIV/AIDS program in the Tansa Valley in April 2004, and has reached more than 15,000 people through its programs to date.

The objectives of PRASAD Chikitsa’s programs are:

• Create awareness among people about HIV/AIDS and correlated diseases
• Diagnose early and treat existing HIV/AIDS patients
• Provide medical, psycho-social and psycho-spiritual counseling and care to those affected

PRASAD Chikitsa's programs are comprehensive and cover the following areas:

• Awareness drives in villages, schools and market places, and among high-risk groups and self-help groups
• Testing and counseling
• Treatment and support

Awareness programs: PRASAD volunteers found that the stigma associated with the disease led to the public and private denial of HIV/AIDS. This meant that those affected had little knowledge of the high-risk behavior associated with HIV/AIDS.

PRASAD Chikitsa social workers, volunteers and doctors not only visit the villages, but also work with high-risk groups like factory workers and truck drivers, as well as teachers, high-school students and women to increase awareness.

PRASAD Chikitsa has conducted more than 150 such programs and reached out to more than 15,000 people.

PRASAD Chikitsa staff and social workers have been trained by Prayas, a non-governmental organization (NGO) based in Pune that specializes in HIV/AIDs.

HIV Testing and Counseling: PRASAD Chikitsa's Gurudev Siddha Peeth Netra Chikitsa Hospital (GSP Netra Chikitsa Hospital) provides an HIV testing facility for the people of the Tansa Valley. PRASAD also has a full-time counselor who provides counseling before and after testing.

One of the most effective ways of combating HIV is by preventing pregnant women who are HIV-positive from passing on the infection to their unborn children. To do this, PRASAD started a collaborative project with two local public health centers. Free prenatal blood tests, including HB, Blood Group, VDRL and HIV, are offered to all pregnant women with informed consent.

In addition, PRASAD Chikitsa plans to provide antiretroviral drugs free to infected pregnant mothers; if their babies are born infected, these drugs will be provided on a long-term basis to the children.

Supportive treatment: Both the Muktananda Mobile Hospital and the GSP Netra Chikitsa Hospital provide support to HIV-positive patients by treating secondary infections and meeting their nutritional needs. The GSP Netra Chikitsa Hospital also operates an outpatient clinic for HIV-infected children.

• Click here to read about our General Health Care, Eye Care, Dental Care, and Community Health programs in Tansa.

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