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FRIDAY MEETING TRANSACTIONS



STRATEGIES FOR AIDS PREVENTION IN THE COMMUNITY,
THROUGH MULTI-DISABILITY COMMUNITY BASED
REHABILITATION PROGRAMMES



DISCUSSION LED BY:
Lata Jagannathan, Bangalore Medical Services Trust,
New Thippasandra Main Road, Bangalore - 560 075.
Tel: 5587903
K.S. Sathish, Wockhardt Hospital, Cunningham Road,
Bangalore - 560 001.
Tel: 3408006

CBR programmes are generally set in the context in which they function. What interventions are required in a programme and what types of disabilities are dealt with, depends on what the current context is of the given programme. In the past 10 years, the incidence of AIDS in India has been growing, and it is expected to reach about 0.5% by the turn of century. The magnitude of the problem will be so large in the coming decade, that CBR programmes can ill afford to ignore this. At this stage it is important to question what it is that CBR programmes initiated to rehabilitate other types of disabilities through home based community interventions, will need to do for AIDS control? Should they do anything at all? Or should they leave it to other specialised AIDS control programmes to do what is required? If CBR programmes intend to do something in the area of AIDS control, what should it be? How will they do it?

Key issues related to AIDS

1. AIDS is invariably fatal. 2. No vaccination is available as of now. 3. The population affected is between 16 and 40 years. 4. The incidence of AIDS is growing. 5. Prevention is the only method to control the growing incidence. 6. The most effective method of AIDS education is through education in schools and colleges. 7. Many children under 16 years of age in India do not attend schools, to learn from school based prevention programmes, and may require alternate forms of education.

What is the key information that requires to be disseminated?

1. AIDS is invariably fatal and there are no cures as of now. 2. The stigma related to AIDS is very high. 3. AIDS occurs after 6 to 10 years of infection with the HIV virus. 4. The mode of transmission of the HIV infection is primarily through multi-partner sex, blood transfusion, sharing of needles, and mother to child during pregnancy. 5. How "AIDS does not spread". 6. False negatives can occur in ELISA and Western Blot testing for AIDS in the beginning of the illness and at the end of the illness.

Is it necessary for multi-disability CBR programmes to have an AIDS prevention component?

Since the impact of HIV infection is very large in India, its prevention needs to be integrated into all development programmes, and policy changes are required to bring this about. There are similarities in strategies employed in other rehabilitation programmes and AIDS prevention programmes. However, there is considerable stigma attached to working for AIDS prevention, which goes against integration of AIDS prevention into development programmes. At present, the People with Disabilities Act does not include AIDS affected persons.

How does one integrate AIDS prevention into the conventional multi-disability CBR programmes?

Prevention and education are the main strategies. It is very important to bring about attitude changes towards HIV positive persons in the community, through awareness programmes. Acquiring the HIV positive status is primarily through the lifestyle of an individual. Hence it can be considered as a behavioural illness. Therefore, prevention requires changes in behaviour patterns of a large number of persons in society. Large scale awareness programmes through the media and so on, though successful in reducing stigma, are not known to change behaviour patterns successfully. Thus individual or small group counselling is important if one has to produce any impact in preventing the spread of HIV infection. In this context, it is also important that children, who are more amenable to change, are the priority groups in these strategies, rather than adults who are not as amenable to change.

MANAGEMENT OF PHILANTHROPIC ORGANISATIONS

Author: Noshir H. Dadrawala

This book deals with the historical development of philanthropy, provides vital data and statistics, covers important statutes and legislation affecting philanthropic organisations, and deals with concepts of leadership and effective management. A number of forms required for applications and other procedural requirements with government authorities are provided.

Available from: Centre for Advancement of Philanthropy, c/o Forbes Marshall, Mistry Mansion, 4th Floor, 107 M.G. Road, Mumbai - 400 023, India.


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Friday Meeting Transactions
Associate Publication of Asia Pacific Disability Rehabilitation Journal
Vol.1 No.2 1999

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