HIV/AIDS

UNICEF in action

© UNICEF India

Gayatri Devi, 24, has her blood tested by Winnie Tauvo in a hospital in Bangalore.

As a part of the joint UN response and within the context of National Aids Control Plan III, UNICEF collaborates with the Government of India and other partners in four key areas we call the 4 Ps:

Primary prevention among young people is the greatest hope to defeat the virus. UNICEF has been carrying out focused popular campaigns to raise awareness among the children and young people. The Unite for children Unite Against AIDS campaign calls upon everyone to join together to put the care and protection of children, adolescents and young people at the centre of the HIV/AIDS agenda.

UNICEF provided technical support to Adolescence Education Programmes (AEP) in schools. AEP is a joint initiative by the DoE, NACO in collaboration with NCERT, UNFPA and UNICEF. This programme aims to strengthen life skills and increase knowledge of young people required to empower them to say ‘no’ to negative peer pressure and use the skills to protect themselves from HIV infections.

UNICEF is helping to reach at risk adolescents and young people in 43 high priority and prevalence districts across the country, through focused peer outreach programmes and by strengthening links to youth-friendly health services and communication initiatives.

© UNICEF India

A simple anti-retroviral drug administered to the mother during labour and a spoonful of syrup to the baby soon after birth can prevent transmission of the AIDS virus to the newborn.

2. Prevention of parent-to-child transmission (PPTCT) focuses on both women and their partners with a view to create an AIDS free generation.  UNICEF is supporting the government’s PPTCT services in 2433 centers across the country. Women and their partners will have access to confidential testing and counseling.  HIV positive mothers will receive antiretroviral drugs, as will their babies soon after the birth.  The PPTCT programme supports women in minimizing the risk of HIV transmission through breastfeeding and follow-up care.  

3. Paediatric HIV/AIDS - NACO with  support of UNICEF, Indian Academy of Paediatrics, Clinton Foundation and WHO has formulated the policy and guidelines which form the basis of the “National Paediatric initiative” for children living with HIV. NACO under this initiative has set a target for providing ART to 10,000 children by 2007.  This initiative has been launched on 30th November 2006 by Mrs. Sonia Gandhi and William. J. Clinton. Now, as of September 2007, 6,500 children are receiving ART and nearly 19,000 children were identified who may need ART in future.

4. Protection, care and support for affected children - Among the estimated 2.5 million people in India living with HIV/AIDS, 70,000 are children under 15 years old (UNAIDS 2007). Every year about 21,000 children are infected through mother to child transmission and thousands of children are affected because their parents are HIV positive. UNICEF India has been working to get a clear picture on an evidence-based approach to address the changing needs of the children affected by HIV/AIDS. On 31st July 2007, Mrs. Renuka Chowdhury, Minister of State for Women and Child Development, launched the first comprehensive National Policy on Children and AIDS in India.

Click here for more on protection, care and support for affected children.

5. Communications and Advocacy - Communications and advocacy on HIV/AIDS is essential to break the silence, contain the spread of the disease, reduce the stigma and discrimination incidents and to influence the policies that will benefit the HIV positive children and young people. To achieve this, UNICEF works on two levels - (a) A strategic anti stigma and discrimination campaign (b) Advocacy with MPs and key policy makers.

Anti Stigma and Discrimination Campaign
HIV positive children face discrimination in their everyday life. This stigma and discrimination practiced by the general public against the HIV positive children denies their access to education, health and many other crucial government provided services.

It is clear from various studies that HIV positive children who are being denied an education based on their HIV status are due to lack of knowledge or awareness about how HIV/AIDS spreads. The campaign carried out by UNICEF will focus on health and education settings creates awareness on the modes of HIV/AIDS transmission, why HIV positive people deserve our respect and why HIV positive people should have uninterrupted access to all public services.

Policy and Advocacy work with MPs
UNICEF works hand in hand with the Government of India through NACO, Parliamentary Forum on HIV/AIDS and MPs to influence the HIV/AIDS policies. UNICEF plans to influence the new HIV/AIDS Bill to make sure that children and women are well represented. UNICEF also works towards supporting the GOI's commitment and leverage local resources towards the betterment of children, young people and families living with HIV/AIDS.

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