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Altogether 31 Union ministries and departments of the Government of India have mainstreamed HIV/AIDS prevention in their day-to-day functioning. Each of these organisations has one dedicated HIV/AIDS unit with at least one focal person from staff. All these organisations have developed a situation assessment report and five-year HIV/AIDS action plan covering critical elements, including:
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Internal budgetary allocation for implementing HIV/AIDS action plan
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Plan for HIV/AIDS unit
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Identification of comparative advantage to the Department/ Ministry in introducing the preventive interventions, and entry points for HIV interventions in the Ministry/ Department’s work
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Cost-benefit analysis of measures taken for HIV/AIDS prevention.
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Rights-based workplace policy: training and sensitisation of internal staff as a first step
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Workplace interventions for care, support and treatment, including provision of commodities and services for HIV/AIDS infected or affected.
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Ongoing monitoring and feedback: reporting of core indicators to the National Council on AIDS In these activities and interventions of various ministries, NACO, State AIDS Control Societies and technical experts provide all support for setting up the HIV unit, developing reporting lines within department, reports, training/sensitising staff and developing workplace policy.
NACO maps and identifies priority organisations/government ministries that have direct or indirect relevance to the HIV and AIDS response (e.g. direct relevance - Railways, Steel as large employers; indirect relevance – Labour Ministry, Police Department for the statutory support they can provide to HIV/AIDS programmes). NACO has identified 13 focus government ministries, but these can vary according to the mapping in each state. All 13 union ministries have to achieve the objective of HIV prevention and control, and contribute to this by integrating HIV into their larger mission.
The specific role of each ministry is listed below:
Ministry of Rural Development
MoRD has been a catalyst of change in rural areas. It has implemented a wide spectrum of programmes aimed at poverty alleviation, employment generation, infrastructure development and social security. The Ministry of Rural Development consists of three departments – Rural Development, Land Resources and Drinking Water Supply. Its major initiatives in mainstreaming are towards ensuring :
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Training in HIV prevention for 23 lakh self-help group leaders, 2,200 NGOs, 2,000 DRDA Programme officers and trainers/faculty of 115 training institutes.
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Incorporation of HIV/AIDS messages in all training programmes.
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Establishment of a dedicated HIV Cell in each agency working on SHG programmes whether at national, state or district level.
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Constitution of 23 lakh SHG Red Ribbon clubs each comprising four well trained SHG members to carry out HIV interventions at community level.
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Awareness among all beneficiaries especially women SHG members, ‘swarozgaris’ and BPL families.
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Dissemination and display of prevention information/messages and provision of a counsellor (male or female) at all work sites.
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Condom promotion through SHGs.
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Build the capacities of District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) officials (during their bi-annual meetings) for mainstreaming HIV in their programmes. Ministry of Urban Development
The Ministry of Urban Development and the Ministry of Urban Employment and Poverty Alleviation are the apex authorities of the Government of India at the national level to formulate policies, sponsor, support and monitor programmes concerning urban development and housing in the country. During the plan period the mainstreaming activities of the ministry will focus on:
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Mobile health clinics for urban slums.
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Sensitisation of urban local body councillors and municipal officers.
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Creation of HIV/AIDS cells in all 35-million plus cities.
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Providing and maintaining condom vending machines at public conveniences.
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Raising awareness on HIV/AIDS at night shelters.
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Providing wage employment to BPL positive persons and their families within the jurisdiction of urban local bodies.
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HIV/AIDS sensitisation for trainers, elected representatives, functionaries of urban local bodies, field functionaries like project officers, community organisers etc. under the IEC component.
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Providing condoms in slums and night shelters, and to vulnerable groups such as rag-pickers.
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Establishing ‘homes’ for street children/rag-pickers, and sensitising them about risks of HIV infection; effecting measures to protect them from sexual abuse.
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Providing space at strategic locations, like markets, public parks, bus stations etc., for putting up hoardings on HIV prevention.
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Introduction of a weekly clinic in slums and night shelters for treatment of RTIs/STD, voluntary counselling and testing for HIV, referral system for people living with HIV/AIDS.
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Awareness messages in urban transport systems.
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Integrated counselling and testing centres in all major hospitals/dispensaries run by the urban local bodies; PPTCT centres in all family welfare centres run by the local bodies and ART facility in major hospitals.
Ministry of Tribal Welfare
The Ministry of Tribal Welfare is the nodal organisation dealing with all matters relating to the Scheduled Tribes. It plans to provide:
- Comprehensive package of services under Integrated Tribal Development Project and Modified Area Development Approach
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Hostel facilities to ST children orphaned by AIDS or whose parents are too ill to provide them the necessary care
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Training of trainers, officers, healthcare providers on HIV/AIDS
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Special outreach programmes through mobile clinics in tribal areas.
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Training on HIV/AIDS at all Tribal Research Institutes, and to make them the apex centre for HIV prevention with respect to tribals
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Comprehensive mapping of HIV-related vulnerabilities like migration, high risk behaviour etc.
Ministry of Tourism
The Ministry of Tourism is the nodal agency for the formulation of national policies and programmes on tourism. It seeks to increase tourism in the country with minimal impact on HIV scenario. With that focus, the activities of its HIV cell involve:
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Advocacy with representatives of hotel federations/ 2,141 hotel owners and ancillary industry.
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Incorporation of HIV/AIDS in the training programmes conducted by National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology (NCHMCT) and Institutes of Hotel Management.
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Workplace policies of all major establishments in this sector-Directorate General of Tourism, 20 India tourism offices within the country, India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management (IITTM).
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HIV messages on hoardings erected at all major Destination Development Projects (64), 20 rural tourism circuits.
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IEC stalls at tourist fairs.
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Free space for installation of CVMs and IEC material at ITDC hotels and duty-free shops.
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Establishing condom vending machines (CVMs) at suitable wayside amenities, tourist arrival centres, reception centres and interpretation centres in the identified tourist circuits. These could be organised by the State AIDS Control Societies in coordination with the State Tourism Departments.
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An HIV/AIDS workplace programme for Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) and the Hotel Association of India (HAI).
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Encouraging the industry bodies to provide condoms, information about HIV in hotel rooms.
Ministry of Panchayati Raj
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj has mainstreamed HIV/AIDS prevention through:
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Workshops for government and non-government PR training institutions on HIV/AIDS.
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Advocacy among PRI members for inclusion of HIV issues in the district plans with allocated budgets.
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Programmes implemented by Zilla Parishad (ZP).
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Inclusion of special needs of the positive people in the programme planning and implementation.
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Imparting training to ZP members on various aspects of HIV.
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Also, the trained ZP members, with the help of the District Task Force and the cadre of link workers and volunteers, can mobilise the panchayats to call for mandatory discussions on HIV/CHC/PHC issues in their Gram Sabha meetings.
Ministry of Home Affairs
The Ministry of Home Affairs has mainstreamed HIV prevention in its policies, training for cadres/forces and care for HIV positive personnel.
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HIV/AIDS is included in the training curriculum of all forces
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Established VCT Centres
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Established a support group for people living with HIV
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Trained jawans living with HIV in positive speaking
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Designed and implemented campaigns to reduce stigma and discrimination by identifying AIDS Ambassadors.
Ministry of Labour and Employment
The Ministry of Labour and Employment is the nodal organisation for the welfare of labour in the country. During the plan period the ministry’s focus will be on:
Ministry of Human Resource Development
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Under the 11th five-year-plan, the Ministry of HRD has planned to mainstream the programme across all its divisions and departments with continued financial support from NACO.
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Constitute Red Ribbon Clubs in every school and college over a period of two years.
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Make one question on HIV/AIDS compulsory in all board exams (CBSE/ISCE).
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Set up an HIV cell in NCERT and SCERT, and strengthen the one in MHRD to implement all programme activities.
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In A & B category districts of high prevalence, state ministry plans to step up HIV-related activities under National Literacy Mission. Ministry of Railways
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Work is in progress to provide access to integrated services in all 586 railway hospitals in collaboration with MHFW.
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Railways to replicate the Vijayawada model of peer education in the remaining zones.
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Wide dissemination of HIV prevention information through hoardings at railway stations and information panels in coaches and toilets.
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To install condom vending machines at railway stations.
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Scroll messages on HIV prevention on CCTVs installed at railway stations.
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Plans to incorporate HIV prevention in all its training programmes. Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports is the nodal ministry for matters relating to youth. Youth (people between 15-34 years) constitute around 34 percent population in India. The ministry focuses on raising HIV/AIDS awareness among this section of population through various programmes involving a number of youth organisations. The ministry plans to:
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Constitute Red Ribbon Clubs, with minimum of 30 to 40 students as its active members, in every school and college in the next two years through NSS
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Orient programme officers/coordinators of NSS and NYK at state and district level to initiate special interventions for young people living in vulnerable circumstances
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Mobilise vulnerable women/young people by strengthening their knowledge on sexuality, gender and HIV/AIDS through trained community volunteers and link workers
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Help reduce stigma and assist the affected community members to cope with the epidemic
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Increase access to condoms and encourage communities to avail free testing facilities and early treatment of STIs
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Groom youth for elimination of stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA)
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Integrate peer education interventions on HIV in the training and orientation of motivated members and volunteers of 2,500 Youth Clubs and Youth Development Centres
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Establish a dedicated HIV/AIDS cell in the ministry and NYKS.
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
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Set up HIV/AIDS cell for training NGOs and community leaders to strengthen Regional Resource Training Centres (RRTCs).
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Promote condom use in all programmes for prevention of alcoholism and substance (drug) abuse.
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Set up a task force to examine the need of introducing drug-substitution therapy to reduce the risk of HIV infection among the injecting drug users.
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Create HIV awareness among the persons with physical disabilities, they being vulnerable to HIV infection.
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Integrate HIV prevention in the programmes of OBC/BC/SC hostels/homes and BC/SC residential schools.
Ministry of Women and Child Development
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Integrate HIV prevention and access to comprehensive services package into anti-trafficking initiatives.
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Incorporate and integrate HIV/AIDS programme in all Women & Child Development training programmes and ICDS schemes for CDPOs, supervisors, AWWs etc.
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Content on HIV prevention integrated in the NIPCCD curriculum.
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Scale up essential services of nutrition, care and support for women and children affected and infected by HIV/AIDS.
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HIV/AIDS orientation of NGOs to mainstream HIV discussion in women SHG meetings.
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Support establishment of Red Ribbon Clubs among rural adolescent girls, and provide them the access to life skills and information about HIV/AIDS prevention. Ministry of Road Transport, Highways and Shipping
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All medium and heavy vehicles, both in public and private sector, carry HIV prevention messages following the ministerial directive.
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NHAI HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Unit works with truckers associations for HIV prevention among truck drivers and CSWs. The unit promotes condom use among truckers.
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NHAI to put up hoardings at every 50 km at major halt points, and ensure that wayside amenities provide condoms and display HIV prevention messages.
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NHAI model to be replicated by all state highways.
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Disseminate HIV/AIDS messages among the port employees/workforce and provide them a comprehensive package of services.
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