Global Initiatives for HIV/AIDS Prevention Josephine d'Allant - The Huffington Post
go to original July 7, 2014

Globally, the spread of HIV is reversing course: UNAIDS reports that new infections have fallen by 33 percent since 2001. Government agencies and NGOs are tackling the issue from all angles, including outreach to eliminate barriers to testing, interventions targeted at orphaned youth with HIV, as well as initiatives to improve treatment for current patients. Several initiatives being implemented in Chittagong, Bogotá, Bangalore, Lagos, and Mexico City are successfully raising HIV/AIDS awareness and reducing its prevalence.

UNICEF estimates that there could be as many as 4 million children affected by HIV in India, including those living with the virus, orphaned by it, and whose parents are living with it. In the absence of comprehensive government interventions, Milana, a Bangalore-based organization, gives families and children a safe and supportive meeting place to share information, learn how to access proper care and nutrition, and discuss the difficulties of living with the virus.

Another big unmet challenge is lack of shelter for AIDS orphans. In Bangalore, ACCEPT runs a 35-bed facility for HIV-positive patients as well as a separate home for orphans. Eighteen children stay at the home with two full-time care staff, a teacher, and other counseling and support. All the children attend the local school - a big step, given that even the schools often discriminate against these children.

Read the rest at The Huffington Post

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