HIV/AIDS MAINSTREAMING WITH SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT: PIONEER FOR MAINSTREAMING INITIATIVES WITH VARIOUS GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS IN KERALA

[BEST PRACTICE DOCUMENTATION UNIT OF KSACS]

HIV/AIDS MAINSTREAMING WITH SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT: PIONEER FOR
MAINSTREAMING INITIATIVES WITH VARIOUS GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS IN
KERALA


The Mainstreaming Division of Kerala State AIDS Control Society has
started mainstreaming initiatives with the Social Welfare Department,
Government of Kerala. This is the first Department selected by KSACS
to mainstream HIV/AIDS interventions with the regular and ongoing
projects and undertakings of a Government Department in Kerala. It is
expected that the effort will blaze a trail to onset mainstream
initiatives with other Government Departments in Kerala.

Department of Social Welfare, Government of Kerala is now one of the
major Departments in terms of its size and service delivery, having
grass root level network of institutions like Anganwadi Centers for
each 800 population; 57300 field staff and 3524 permanent staff. All
BPL families, old aged, destitute, disabled and women and children in
distress are the direct or indirect beneficiaries of the various
schemes implemented by this Department. The Social Welfare Department
is intended to provide Social Security and Social defense services to
the vulnerable sections of the society. Mainstreaming HIV/AIDS
initiatives/interventions in this Department will certainly pave ways
and means for sustained impact in combating HIV/AIDS.

Even though there are conflicting themes in HIV/AIDS intervention,
Social Welfare Department, with its enormous resources and vast
network, can undertake HIV/AIDS and sexual health awareness
generation, health education, adolescent education, women empowerment,
addressing gender related issues, social marketing to support income
generation and supporting de-addiction initiatives. Collectivization &
empowerment of female sex workers, harm reduction initiatives in
injecting drug use, support for safe sex practices in FSWs and MSMs,
etc. are some of the conflicting areas related to HIV prevention
initiatives. More such conflicting areas will be recognized jointly by
KSACS and Department of Social Welfare. Such areas may not be
undertaken by the opposite sector, but it is agreed that either of the
sectors shall not openly criticize the other sector’s strategy.

Social Welfare Department has nominated State Level and District level
Nodal Officers to coordinate the HIV/AIDS mainstreaming initiatives at
various levels. Mr. Raghavan Unni, Joint Director is the State Nodal
Officer nominated for the purpose.

An action plan has been developed based on a strategic planning
facilitated by professionals who have functional knowledge and
understanding on NACP programs and on the mission of the Social
Welfare Department. One of the best and innovative initiatives
suggested on the basis of this plan is the development of an “HIV
Policy for the Social Welfare Department”. All institutions working
under the Department is supposed to abide by this policy and undertake
welfare initiatives accordingly after the finalization and
implementation of the policy.

The developed action plan identifies seventeen areas where the
Department can actively include the HIV/AIDS component. This includes
nutrition support to PLHIVs; shelter home for female sex workers in
need; care centers for supporting income generation for people living
with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) and members of high-risk groups; source
reduction programs and de-addiction programmes for injecting drug
users(IDU); Adolescent development and assertiveness programmes;
Interactive awareness program during mothers meets and house visits;
Resource pool development through the capacity building of staff
members and grass root level workers; display of IEC materials in the
institutions; involvement of Anganwadi Workers in stigma reduction,
etc.

KSACS is supposed to provide necessary contributions in the
mainstreaming initiatives in terms of technical inputs in various
forms, provision of apt resource persons, infrastructure support,
capacity building trainings to officials and grass root level workers,
provision of IEC materials, etc.

As an immediate result of the mainstreaming initiatives, the Social
Welfare Department sanctioned an amount of Rs.49.64 lakhs for
providing nutrimix (nutritious food supplement) to women and children
who visits ‘USHAS’ Centers for ART. They also started initiatives to
capacitate their grass-root level workforce viz. Anganwadi workers.
More programmes are in the pipeline and the Department and KSACS are
working towards ensuring its success.

It is expected that this mainstreaming initiative will help to scale-
up the interventions among the general public as well as the
vulnerable groups to prevent new infections. It will certainly
contribute to halt and reverse the epidemic at the earliest. It will
be helpful in integrating the HIV/AIDS issue with the national
programmes like ICDS. This initiative will certainly attract more
Government Departments in developing HIV/AIDS Policy to incorporate
such initiatives with their ongoing activities and programmes.


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KERALA STATE AIDS CONTROL
SOCIETY
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM
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Thiruvananthapuram
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