Budhwar Peth: HIV prevalence down from 41% to 13% in 3 yrs
The HIV prevalence among female sex workers in Budhwar Peth has registered a significant decrease from 41.2 per cent in 2008 to 13 per cent this year.
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The HIV prevalence among female sex workers in Budhwar Peth has registered a significant decrease from 41.2 per cent in 2008 to 13 per cent this year. The transition has been brought about by empowering sex workers under the HIV/AIDS programme run by Pathfinder International and supported by the Avahan India AIDS Initiative of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation,said T K Jayarajan,Technical Specialist (Documentation) Pathfinder.
Jayarajan told Newsline that ever since interventions were launched in Pune in 2009,analysis of HIV prevalence data among ante-natal clinic attendees shows that there is a significant decline. Approximately 3,000 female sex workers reside in Budhwar Peth and Pathfinder Internationals Mukta project provided the necessary impetus for a cohesive action.
The HIV Sentinel Surveillance data of 2008 showed HIV prevalence at 41.2 per cent and Pathfinders programme data shows the prevalence at 13 per cent this year. A fact that is also supported by Ramesh Deokar,Project Director of Maharashtra State AIDS Control Society (MSACS).
There are approximately 96,000 female sex workers across the state and 164 MSACS projects are providing interventions in the form of condoms,HIV awareness and prevention. Among female sex workers,the HIV prevalence is 7-8 per cent,said Deokar.
We support 64 NGOs at a cost of Rs 13.50 crore per year for upscaling HIV intervention programmes. We will be taking over 32 projects and each project will get a grant of Rs 15 lakh from the National AIDS Control Organisation, said Deokar. Such has been the impact of the Mukta project that a community learning centre set up at Budhwar Peth provided an impetus to female sex workers to form their own 12-member core committee.
Pathfinder project director Darshana Vyas said MSACS has recognised the community learning centre in Budhwar Peth as a learning site where training programmes are offered to high-risk group members.
According to president of the committee Meenakshi,today sex workers regularly meet at the learning centre,discuss issues relevant to their profession and even interact with ward officers to get the garbage cleared and help improve erratic power supply at Sagar building. The centre now has strated a beauty parlour and stitching courses to empower sex workers.
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