DAPCU and Stigma & discrimination-Dist. BHANDARA

Role and Responsibility of DAPCU

• To prevent transmission of HIV infection among workers and their families.
• To protect right of those who are infected and provide access to available care support and treatment.
• To protect workers from stigma and discrimination related to HIV/ AIDS by assuring them equity and dignity at the work place.
• To ensure safe migration and mobility with access to information services on HIV /AIDS.
• To provide education and training at all levels in workplace ,set up interventions for behavior change through peer educators/ by initiating programs at workplace like the training of Human resource department , welfare department and corporate social responsibility.
• To set up intervention for unorganized and informal sector workers and migrant workers based on risk assessment.
• To access to condom, treatment of STI /RTI infection, Motivating for HIV testing.
• To make available the scope for social security coverage to include HIV in employee and family assistance programs and health insurance. 

Measures initiated to facilitate reduction of stigma and Discrimination in

    ·         Access to Services-

At district level GIPA (Greater involvement of People living with HIV/AIDS) Committee has been established, under chairmanship of district collector in which officers of all the line departments are involved so that any issue of stigma and discrimination can be managed effectively. The information about the GIPA committee aims and objectives are disseminated through News paper Inter -currently so that the PLHIV can have easy access to avail the remedial intervention.

    ·         Health Care Settings-

We have ten stand alone ICTCs and Thirty three Facility based ICTCs along with four PPP ICTCs where one counselor and one lab technician are provided who work for counseling to the attaining clients in order to reduce the stigma and discrimination issues. The IEC material is also made available to the ICTCs.

    ·         District administration and its departments-

As the GIPA committee has been established at district level under chairmanship of district collector in which officers of all the line departments are involved so that any issue of stigma and discrimination can be managed effectively. The information about the GIPA committee aims and objectives are disseminated through News paper Inter -currently so that the PLHIV can have easy access to avail the remedial intervention.

    ·         Community setting-

In the community setting the DLN (District Level Network of Positive People) has been established as a sarthi Kalyankari Sanstha Bhandara , the representative are working for the welfare of PLHIV in relation to linking them to Social benefit scheme so that they can improve their social and economic status and can get rid of stigma and discrimination. Whenever there is any issue of stigma and discrimination among any PLHIV in the district they approach to the network and representative of the network take that issue to the GIPA committee through DAPCU.

·         Issue of Stigma and Discrimination addressed in the District-  

    One old lady was working on  daily wedges and when the sarpanch of the village came to know the positive status of that lady ,he forced that lady to stay outside the village ,as the lady was connected to DLN network , the DLN representative and TB representative approached DAPCU office ,DAPCU staff had meeting and went to the village and had conducted sensitization session with the serpanch and other community members .As a result of this the sarpanch and community members convinced to allow the lady to stay in the village and take the responsibility to take care of her .