FEATURES NEWS THE RISING NEPAL (DAILY)

Fight Against HIV/AIDS
Crucial Role Of Local NGOs

By Jhabindra Bhandari

APART from the growing challenges of poverty and illiteracy, most of the developing countries are acutely facing the serious problems of public health. One of the most dangerous diseases that the killing millions of people worldwide every year is HIV/AIDS. In our country, the increasing migration, open border, drug addiction, girl trafficking and prostitutions have made the problem of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) and HIV/AIDS even worse. Despite several efforts in prevention and care, the problem is rapidly growing. Most importantly, there is no cure for AIDS yet and the problem is still on the rise.

Awareness

Most of the NGOs, with support from external development partners are focusing on awareness raising programmes in order to reduce the risk of HIV infection among high risk populations through education and promotion of safer sexual and drug using behaviour. Undertaking advocacy at all levels to sensitise the urgency of prevention and care efforts have been effective for local response. This has positively changed the attitude of policy makers, planners, NGO activists and social workers to think that HIV/AIDS is a development problem and this is beyond the public health issue. Rather it is a very difficult and complex social problem.

At the local level, District AIDS Coordination Committees (DACC) have to play an important role in mobilizing local resources in prevention and care efforts. In fact, a few of these committees are quite active where local NGOs are implementing HIV/AIDS programmes. In Morang district, for an example the DACC is continuously operating to launch HIV/AIDS prevention programmes at the village and community levels. Most importantly, the Village Development Committee (VDCs) are also mobilising local resources to raise massive awareness on HIV/AIDS.

In the fat west region of the country, migration and open border have fueled the spread of the problems of drug addictions, STDs and HIV/AIDS. "The DACC should play a lead role to facilitate local NGOs in planning and implementation of community-based awareness raising programmes on drug addiction and HIV/AIDS. Looking at the increasing trend of drug addicts, we are further planning for local resource mobilisation to open a rehabilitation center for drug addicts in the deistrict" says Harihar Sharma Chief District Officer, and chairperson of DACC in Kanchanpur.

The institutional capacity building of the DACC is an important priority to localise the national response. This is why the local NGOs are always trying hard to strengthen the DACC so that the issues of HIV/AIDS could be mainsteamed in community development programmes for better impacts. Moreover, this is one of the innovative strategies for continuity and sustainability of the programmes.

Capacity building of local NGOs in participatory planning and management of HIV/AIDS programmes is the foremost challenge ahead. Particularly, training to partners NGOs in communication and counseling skills in STDs and HIV/AIDS, peer education, condom promotion, and behaviour change issues are extremely important. Reaching high risk populations with the clear communication of HIV/AIDS problem, its mode of transmission and the ways of avoiding infection is the need of the hour. In this regards, establishment of drop-in-centers has offered an imporant opportunity for people to share and learn more about safer sex and consequences of the drug addition and HIV infection.
Local NGOs are largely focusing on awareness raising programmes through social mobilisation in the communities. People at high risk are gradually empowered for safer sex and STD care seeking behaviour. With the massive condom promotion and Information, Education and Communication (IEC) campaigns, the vulnerability to HIV infection has greatly reduced in the communities" says Nir Wagle, Project Coordinator of General Welfare Pratishthan (GWP). The GWP in the mid and far west is particularly targeting transport workers, migrants, hoteliers in the highway region for their active participation in HIV/AIDS prevention.

Peer education has been very effective to educate community people about STDs and HIV/AIDS. Local NGOs are developing peer educators so that details of HIV/AIDS issues can be well communicated for behaviour change. In a society like ours where HIV/AIDS is narrowly perceived as a problem of only a few section of people, there exists social discrimination and stigma attached to it.
The stigma and discrimination have undermined prevention, care and treatment efforts and increase the negative socio-economic impacts on individuals, families and communities. The successful response to HIV/AIDS have been built on respect for human rights, dignity of those affected, and social solidarity. Therefore, practical strategies of reducing stigma and discrimination to people living with HIV/AIDS in the society should be one of the integral parts of prevention and care. Much more has to be done collectively to reduce the increasing burden of HIV/AIDS problem in the country. National Center for AIDS and STD Control (NCASC) is the only co-ordinating body at national level to formulate policies and strategies in the prevention of HIV/AIDS. With support from external development partners, the NCASC is steadily progressing to develop long term strategic plans for HIV/AIDS programme. Strengthening STD services for quality care at sub health post, health post, primary health care centers and district hospitals is an emerging priority.

Commitment

To be true, the achievements of prevention efforts are still limited as there lacks effective coordination and networking among local NGOs and INGOs who are actively involved in prevention and care activities. The NCASC has to lead proactively in order to create an enabling environment for effective partnership with NGOs and private sectors in planning and management of HIV/AIDS prevention programmes. As this is a multi-sectoral issue, strong political will and commitment can make a difference in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Other Stories