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Positive people carries out wide range of
programs and services to address the HIV/AIDS issues based
on the right based perspective
1.
Prevention
i) Young
people
Program
Educational Institutions has over the years systematically
evolved and continuously been improvised to address the
needs of youth and in particular of adolescents. This
package after a trial period evolved into the transcendent
Module XI concept focused on providing adolescents with a
comprehensive sexual health package. Aims of the program are
to enhance life skills among young people and
institutionalise life skill education.
ii) sex
workers
 Goa is in the
accelerated phase of HIV epidemic. Five NGOs funded
through Goa State AIDS Control Society were providing HIV
prevention interventions to the SWs in Goa. Unfortunately,
in 2004 these activities came to a sudden halt as Baina,
the red-light area demolished. The displaced sex workers
were not rehabilitated and they scattered all over Goa. This
decision resulted in pushing sex work underground and became
counter productive with respect to HIV/AIDS prevention
activities. Major focus of the intervention is behaviour
change communication coupled with product and services along
with strengthening peer net work,
counselling, distribution of condoms &IECs, STI services,
legal intervention etc.
iii)
Injecting Drug users
Goa
is becoming the drug hub and transit point in the passage of
drugs in the local and international markets. There is high
demand for drugs from natives, Indian and foreign tourists.
The objective of the project is to reduce vulnerabilities to
HIV/AIDS among IDUs through harm reduction activities like
substitution therapy, needle exchange, peer education,
counselling etc. The project provides a drop-in-centre
facility to IDUs to provide them with a safe space to access
these services.
i)
Truckers, migrants, industrial and tourism
workers
Since it is famous tourist
destination, millions of tourists visit Goa annually. Boom
in the mining and construction industries escalated the
inflow of migrants and truckers. Majority of these migrants
are vulnerable to HIV. We provide information and services
to these group aimed to protect themselves from HIV and
other social and economic exploitation.
iv) Sexual and reproductive
health. Baseline study underway to assess the
reproductive and child health needs of the community towards
implementation of a government program (RCH2).
2. Care and support
We have three programs in
these areas
i) Adhar
 PP has been
working in care and support of PLHAs for the last 15 years.
It addresses their social, emotional, medical, economical,
nutritional and mental health needs. Clients who are
referred to the organization undergoes a detailed needs
assessment to assess their socio-economic condition,
emotional and mental health, drug abuse, medical history,
nutritional needs, quality of life, sexuality etc. PP either
provides the required service or refer them to other service
providers. PLHIVs share their concerns and problems during
the support group meetings and collectively respond to
stigma and discrimination. The groups have undertaken
different programs like micro-financing and income
generation assistance.
ii)
ASHA
- Home based Care
 Since it is acknowledged that, good home
based care could reduce the burden on health care
facilities, we have started a comprehensive home based care
program. A unique mental health component is incorporated in
to this on the light of reports on the rise of suicides
among PLHAs in Goa. The hidden burden on unlinked caregivers
has been evaluated by us and the program has designed with
the innovative methodologies to reduce the burden and
support this invisible population. Informal care givers the
following the main subjects 1) Fever 2)Respiratory Tract
Infections 3)Mouth and Throat 4)Diarrhea 5)Dehydration
6)Common skin problems 7)Tiredness and weakness 8)Pain
9)Anxiety and depression 10)Confusion and Dementia 11)Nausea
and vomiting 12)TB 13)Prevention of infection 14)Infant
feeding 15)Nutrition
iii)
Alaxiro - Paediatric care and Treatment
We
are providing comprehensive paediatric care and support for
children infected with HIV in
Goa linking
CLHIVs to nearest ARV centres in collaboration with NGOs and
care homes for children. Of these 91 children 22 are on
ARV and on DOT. 19 children have lost both their parents
and are taken care by the children homes. We provide
psychosocial, educational, nutritional, recreational and
medical support.
3. Advocacy
 PP’s
forte has been carrying out advocacy activities, since its
inception. The founder of PP, Mr. Dominic D’Souza,
successfully campaigned against a discriminatory and inhuman
provision in the Goa Public Health Act. An exemplary
incident of PP’s commitment to our stake holders was shown
during the demolition of the Baina red-light area. PP stood
in solidarity with women and children who were evicted from
their homes and thrown on the roads in heavy rains, while
their homes were smashed by bulldozers. Besides providing
immediate material relief to the victims, PP systematically
documented the impact of this State sponsored violence on
the health and well-being of sex workers and advocated with
the National and State authorities to assert the rights of
the victims for comprehensive rehabilitation. PP extended
legal support and referral services to women, PLHIVs, sex
workers and migrant women. PP collaborated with lawyers
collective, council for social justice and peace and other
NGOs to oppose the state initiative on mandatory premarital
testing. Subsequently Goa government rolled back from this
attempt. Recently We initiated a campaign to pass an
HIV/AIDS bill for the state of Goa.
Research
Training and Documentation.
PP has conducted scientific
research among stake holders, in collaboration with national
and international organizations and consultants. Our
intervention projects are carried out systematically with
scientifically prepared baseline, midline and end line
studies, so that the outcome of the programs can be analyzed
and disseminated among stake holders and opinion makers. The
study findings were disseminated among primary and secondary
stake holders. Our research findings brought light to policy
makers and institutions on developing a comprehensive
intervention approach for vulnerable women. PP has also
initiated micro-research projects and micro-studies and
brought out research papers, which were then disseminated to
the concerned authorities and the public at large. We are
the premier and oldest NGO in this field. The organization
is best equipped in terms of capacities, resources and
experience to assume the dual role of being a nodal training
and resource centre.
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