Date:13/10/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/10/13/stories/2007101356231100.htm

New Delhi

NACO launches sub-office in Guwahati

Special Correspondent

Five-year initiative to be jointly implemented with help from U.N. agencies

Key components include capacity building and advocacy
To receive financial aid from Australia and Sweden

NEW DELHI: The National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) on Friday launched the first ever sub-office at Guwahati in Assam to fight AIDS in the northeast region.

The five year initiative supported with an $8.9 million grant from the Australian government will be jointly implemented with the help of U.N. agencies.

The project will also receive $650,000 from the Swedish government for three years.

Aimed at reducing the risk and impact of HIV and AIDS in the north-east, the key components of the initiative include capacity building, advocacy, care and support for women and children and developing innovative state-specific programmes.

This includes reaching out to the far-flung districts by developing a network of services in partnership with the state machinery as well as other community-based service providers and engaging a community and social action to spread awareness about HIV.

Launching the initiative, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Panabaka Lakshmi said the initiative was the culmination of the expressed needs of the northeast States.

It demonstrated the close partnership between the government, the U.N. system and donor agencies to come together and strengthen the national response to HIV.

Minister of State for Labour (independent charge) Oscar Fernandes, who is also convenor of the Parliamentarians Forum on HIV/AIDS was also present at the function, reiterated the government’s commitment to fight the disease.

Swedish Ambassador Lars-Olof Lindgren hoped that the project would strengthen the partnership between civil society organisations and the government to further the response to HIV and AIDS in the region.

Two of the six high prevalent States — Manipur and Nagaland —are in the northeast. Estimates show that 30 per cent of the injecting drug users in the country are in this region.

Injecting drug use is known to be one of the vulnerability factors for HIV. Although Assam and Meghalaya are low prevalence States, presence of other high risk groups and injecting drug use have been reported.