Have evidence based planning and community based interventions alleviated HIV/AIDS in India?

Damodar Bachani, National AIDS Control Organization (NACO)
Ruchi Sogarwal, National AIDS Control Organization (NACO)
K. Sujatha Rao, AS&DG, National AIDS Control Organisation, INDIA

The study aims to assess the impact of evidence based planning and community based interventions on lessening the HIV/AIDS in India. There is evidence that HIV epidemic has stabilize in India with the prevalence of 0.36 percent and an estimated 2.5 million infected persons. This has been possible due to strategic interventions under the National AIDS Control Programme. The program focuses on targeted interventions for high risks and vulnerable groups through voluntary and community based organizations. Voluntary counselling and testing, blood safety, management of STIs, easy accessibility to condoms and public awareness have also been scaled up to prevent the transmission of infection. In addition, persons with advanced stages of HIV/AIDS are provided treatment in public health facilities and community care centres. Networks of infected persons also actively participate in planning, community mobilization, treatment adherence, stigma reduction and home based care.