The Thar Desert of India is one of the least developed regions in the world and healthcare facilities, including for HIV, are extremely scarce.
The Thar Desert of India is one of the least developed regions in the world and healthcare facilities are extremely scarce in this vast region.
Drought, food insecurity and deep-rooted poverty make this region extremely challenging for survival. Amid this, the residents of Thar live in very poor health conditions. GRAVIS, a non-governmental organisation, is committed to integrated development, which includes working on food and water security, education and health for the communities of this region with a stronger focus on the health component.
HIV is a low prevalence health issue here, but according to India’s National AIDS Control Organization (NACO), the region is a high priority area due to seasonal migration and other risk factors. GRAVIS focuses on educating rural communities in this region on HIV and AIDS issues.
Led by GRAVIS’ medical team, a focused training programme was organised to educate village health workers to upgrade their HIV understanding. Over 100 people participated in the training. The key focuses were on testing, diagnosis and referrals to the antiretroviral centers for people living with HIV. ‘Treatment is prevention’ was the key message given to the health workers, which refers to the role of antiretrovirals in preventing new infections.
“Over the years, our understanding on HIV has enhanced a lot. Now we can talk about the virus in our communities with less fear and with more confidence, which was not possible in the past,” said 42-year-old village health worker Jamna Bai, who was a part of the training.
Working with vulnerable people
HIV in older populations is one of the most unattended parts of the battle against HIV. GRAVIS works with Older People’s Associations (OPAs) in Thar to help empower and provide leadership development for older people.
On 1 December (World AIDS Day), 2015, GRAVIS organised a convention of OPA leaders to educate them on HIV and AIDS. Seventy-six leaders attended, including 31 older women. Nakhta Ram, a 68-year-old OPA leader, said that after the training he is willing to play a role of a leader in the community to educate all generations on HIV and AIDS.
The GRAVIS team also organised cultural programmes with the help of local music and drama to educate stone mine workers on HIV. Mine workers are a very vulnerable group in Thar and live in very poor health conditions coupled with severe malnutrition.
HIV, TB and other lung diseases, including silicosis, are a major threat for these mineworkers. The team organised 12 events in different mines reaching about 800 mineworkers, talking to them, deconstructing their myths, and improving their understanding around these diseases.
Addressing fear and stigma
In an area, which is severely impoverished and has very low literacy rates, generating awareness on HIV and reducing fear and stigma among communities is crucial. Through its HIV and AIDS prevention and control programme, GRAVIS is reaching out to over 1 million people living in the Indian desert villages.
Dr R S Chaturvedi, from GRAVIS hospital, said: “Our approach is to use locally suited training and awareness generation materials, to cover the most vulnerable populations and reach the most neglected geographical regions. Our goal is to have 100 percent literacy on HIV among desert communities.”
“In community focused education, lies the key for preventing HIV in the Thar Desert.”
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