Kerala - Kochi   

Focus on high-risk groups to control AIDS

KOCHI: The Kerala State AIDS Control Society aims at reaching out to all the high-risk groups like sex workers, homosexuals and intravenous drug users by 2012 and form community–based groups to check the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Speaking to The Hindu here on Monday, World AIDS Day, Dennis P. Joseph, director in-charge of Targeted Interventions under the Kerala State AIDS Control Society (KSACS), said the State leads in achievements under the targeted interventions as 10 out of the 52 projects under the programme is run by a community-based organisation (CBO) unlike the rest, which are done by non-governmental organisations.

The term ‘community’ here indicates people involved in high-risk activities.

The aim is to hand over all the projects to such CBOs, said Mr. Joseph. But, it can be done only after people involved in high-risk activities realise the dangers and take precautions. In most other States, only one or two CBOs have been formed.

According to him, the targeted interventions have reached out to 70 per cent of the high-risk groups, especially homosexuals and sex workers.

There are about 34,000 homosexuals and 54,000 sex workers in the State. The interventions have not been as successful in the case of intravenous drug users as mapping them is a difficult activity, said Mr. Joseph. The criminal nature of drug-trade makes it difficult for project managers to map the users. In fact, a couple of projects in Kozhikode and Ernakulam were dropped because of threats from the drug mafia, he said.

Estimating the prevalence of HIV/AIDS is becoming easier each year as more people involved in high-risk activities were being mapped by various projects, said Mr. Joseph.

In fact, 18 projects were started this year, taking the number of targeted intervention projects from 34 to 52, to cover the maximum geographical area.

The sentinel surveillance (done nationwide) every year helps estimate the numbers of HIV/AIDS patients. And each year, the number of samples collected for surveillance has increased, giving a better estimation, he said.

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