Kolkata Rista

District

Kolkata

The HIV epidemic is growing, risk factors are high, and mobility is becoming an important aspect of the epidemic. The intervention programme is implementing by NACO for long time with various organizations, MSMs are one of hidden population and sometimes it is difficult to identify them from outside, that’s why MSM population was neglected for long time in the aspect of HIV/AIDS, MSM community was the least likely group to have ever been tested for HIV infection and to know the test results. The MSM community has been identified as one of the HRG groups who are more vulnerable to the risk of contamination of HIV infection and allied co infections. The most prominent reasons are extreme stigmatization and discrimination which is faced by the community which result in frequent social and family violence including expulsion from families, early drop outs from educational institutions which deprive them of even basic education and thus making their professional future almost bleak, lack of employment opportunities or forced retrenchment from employment due to severe adverse situations forcefully created by colleagues or decisions taken by the management. The components of the programme are STI management, Behaviour Change Communication, Condom and Lube promotion, Linkage and Referral, Enabling environment and Advocacy & Networking. Currently the project is implementing through two modes, one is physical outrach and another one is virtual mode. This project is supported by West Bengal State AIDS Prevention & Control Society.

States

West Bengal

This Project Proposal for a Link Worker Scheme (TG, MSM, FSW, IDUs, Migrant Labourers, Trackers an vulnerable youth groups) submitted to the West Bengal State AIDS Prevention and Control Society. In Coochbehar and the experience of existing Link Worker Scheme intervention programmes operating elsewhere in India. The innovations proposed here are necessary in order to develop an effective programme targeting TG, MSM, FSW, IDUs, Migrant Labourers Trackers and vulnerable youth groups in their social-sexual networks and milieu found in Coochbehar We hope that the innovations will be interpreted creatively and according to the specific needs of different target populations. The Project has initiated extension centres under DICs as safe spaces for reaching out the target community with Project Activities in far off areas.

District

North 24 Parganas

Hooghly

Howrah

This project is based on HIV-positive transgender. Through this project, the organization is serving 312 HIV-positive transgender. There is a lot of HIV+ transgender who were not aware of their health issues, most of them were left out of the ART center, and they were taking ART irregularly so a large number of transgender people died. To protect TG PLHIVs, Kolkata Rista started VIHAAN TG CSC programme with the support of NCPI+ (Global Fund). The work is based on some important categories and these are to be initiated on ART, on ART miss, on ART LFU, newly initiated, CD4 below 200, viral load below 1000, Second line, third line, and TB co-infection.

District

North 24 Parganas

Through this project, Kolkata Rista serves PLHIVs who are belonging to the so-called general population. The same scenario is there in this project. A lot of PLHIVs left from ART center, some of them not taking ART regularly. Due to a lack of knowledge, they are spreading HIV infection to other people. Through this project, Kolkata Rista is reaching them and bringing them back to the ART center. For those who are suffering from TB, the organization links them with the DOTS center. Rendering mental health support for them and for their family as well. doing a home visit to understand why they are not visiting the ART center regularly. Providing social welfare and social entitlement support for PLHIVs on a regular base.