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Keeping in mind the modes of transmission of HIV/AIDS,
certain groups are identified as high risk groups (HRG). In order to
control and reduce the spread of this disease, it becomes essential to work
with these groups. Targeted intervention is the strategy adopted for
working with these groups. Identification of these high risk groups is
based on certain points such as their direct/indirect role in the spread of
the disease, perceived need for behaviour change, their risk of acquiring
the disease due to their life – style etc. Hence periodic check may help in
identifying the HRG in the given community.
As per NACO, there are the following HRG identified so
far –
1) Commercial
Sex Workers
2)
Men Having Sex With Men
3)
Eunuchs
4)
Truck Drivers, Cleaners
5)
Other Transport Workers
6) Migrant Laborers
7)
Intra Venous Drug Users
8)
Street Children
9)
Prison Inmates
10) Slum
Intervention ( added recently)
The main philosophy in working with the HRG is not only
to control & reduce the spread of the disease in the target group, but
also to prevent the transmission to the general population.
How to undertake
TI –
Before undertaking any activity, it is always essential to ask
the following questions –
·
What
·
Why
·
Where
·
Who
·
When
·
How
The answers to these questions will help in planning any
activity.
The same needs to be applied to TI planning also.
·
What are the
objectives, what is the vision of the NGO/CBO/group in undertaking TI?
·
Why are we
undertaking the specific TI? What are our specific objectives, what is our
specific plan period wise and what output are we expecting.
·
Where will the TI be undertaken?
Have we identified the specific area? How many beneficiaries would be
there? What are other facilities available in that area? (Detailed Mapping of the area which
along with the site of the HRG would also include the details of other
essential information such as total population of the area, number of
hospitals, schools, other NGOs, CBOs working etc.)
·
For whom
would the TI be? Are the TI partners
willing, would they accept
us, are we involving them in
planning, is it reality based, need based? ( Needs assessment study and
baseline survey is essential to give a clearer picture about the community)
·
How are we going to
run the TI programme? What plans have we made in consultation with our
target group? Have we involved our
target group in planning? Based on the needs assessment, have we worked out any strategies? Have we identified who are going to be our partners in implementing the TI?
Have we broken up the broader aims
and objectives in to smaller, period specific objectives? Have we operationalized the objectives?
·
When are we going to
implement the TI programme? What is going to be our time frame? When are we
going to exit from the community,
i.e. when are we going to handover the programme to the community. How
much time do we need to empower the community based
on the objectives, needs assessment and the strategies planned for
implementing it?
Forming the exit strategy at the beginning is essential as it
gives a clear understanding of the time limit that the NGO has with the
community and thus helps in strategy development. Any TI would be
successful and sustainable only when the community takes a keen interest
and is involved in implementation of the programme with clear understanding
that after some predefined time the NGO would withdraw and the community
would take over. Sonagachi in Kolkata is a classic example of that.
For doing this exercise, the NGO must be aware about its
strengths, weaknesses and be able to identify which are the opportunities
and threats to them. When the NGO is aware about its strengths and
weaknesses, it can work out how to convert the threat into opportunity.
The flow chart given
below will help to put the above in proper perspective.
Community
participation at each stage is very essential.
Based on the
outcome of the yearly evaluation, modifying the strategy to suit the
present need.
Flexibility is
very important in TI as it deals with human beings whose needs, outlook
etc. keep changing based on the present day scenario.
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