Interventions

Context

In India, children below 15 years of age constituted seven percent of the estimated 2.09 million HIV infected individuals in 2011. Over 112,000 children below the age 15 were registered in government anti-retroviral treatment (ART) centers at the end of 2012. Out of these, 34,367 children are on ART. Children affected by HIV and AIDS are vulnerable to HIV as well as abuse. They face challenges of neglect, a burden of caring for the sick parents and meeting the economic needs of their families. They often have poor health and low selfesteem and are likely to drop out from school. Children who are HIV infected face the additional challenges of dealing with the infection, frequent illness and the need to adhere to anti-retroviral treatment.

Implementation

Social Protection project is designed to increase the uptake of health, educational, social protection and welfare interventions for children affected by HIV/AIDS, thereby contributing to their survival, development, participation and future well-being. The intervention proposes to directly reach 22,000 children, equally distributed by gender.  The programme will be implemented in an intensive mode in six districts of Maharashtra and in a maintenance mode in five districts of Karnataka.

The project aims to:

• identify and profile girls and boys living with HIV early
• ensure the linkage of affected children to quality and timely treatment, care and support
• increase the access to and utilisation of priority health, educational, social protection and welfare services by children and their families
• strengthen inter-sectoral collaboration between various government departments to ensure that these children are provided with all essential services

KHPT is implementing the project, from 2014 to 2017, in partnership with International Services Association (INSA-INDIA), Family Health International (FHI), Sneha Charitable Trust (SCT), Catholic Health Association India (CHAI) and networks of people living with HIV. The proejct will use evidence based, multisectoral approach including successful strategies from the ‘Cash Transfer’ scheme of Department of Women and Child, Government of Karnataka; Tamil Nadu Trust for Children Affected by HIV/AIDS (TNTCAA), a pilot scheme initiated by NACO for OVC, and recommendations from the USAID Boston University/SEARCH evaluation of OVC interventions in India.

Context

Children who are made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS require a multi-sectoral approach to meet their needs. These strategies must begin with an understanding of the assets and resources available in a community, and work to strengthen and complement them so that they can become a reliable source of support for the child. Thus, services can be offered in the context of a community-based, child-centered process that includes elements such as identification of needs and assets, training, monitoring and evaluation.

Implementation

The project established a model for holistic, comprehensive and community-based care for Orphan and Vulnerable Children (OVC) in Gadak district in Karnataka. Using a life cycle approach, it created a process to ensure provision of basic services such as education, nutrition, shelter and health care to children infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. The services were at the community level and child focused.

The project successfully established a process for coordination of care ensuring that the right cluster of services reaches vlunerable children and their families.

KHPT implemented the project in Gadak district, in Karnataka, from 2007 to 2009. Clinton Foundation funded the project.

Impact

The project reached 300 out of 825 identified CLHIV with services in education, nutrition, shelter and health care.