Title :

Reduce the risk of STI/HIV transmission and provide continuum of care services to MSM and transgender population in Mumbai.

Goal:

Project duration:
February 2001 to September 2006
October 2006 to September 2009

Funded by:
USAID - FHI - IMPACT ( till September 2006)
USAID - AVERT Society ( October 2006 onwards )

Summary:
The HST was awarded the first pilot project to 'Motivate Safer Sex among MSM at Selected Sites in Mumbai Metro' supported by MDACS in April 1999. Since February 2001, USAID / FHI under its IMPACT project has been supporting the HST, this scaled up the MDACS project.

With this support from USAID / FHI under its IMPACT project, the VCCTC infrastructure was upgraded. Doctors working honorary on the project were hired to work part-time at the VCCTC. The HST implemented four phases of the intervention project, extending its services to 127 MSM and transgender sites in Mumbai and its surrounding areas. The HST is a sentinel surveillance site for the National Aids Control Organization (NACO) for the last four years.

The HST has recently completed an extensive research project titled "Six Years of Intervention amongst MSM population in Mumbai Metro". A dissemination workshop to share the findings of this study with key stakeholders is being organized September 2006. In November 2003, the HST set-up INFOSEM to bring together like-minded lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) groups to work issues on sexuality, health and human rights. HST also extends technical assistance to MSM groups across the country to start projects in their respective regions. So far, with assistance from the HST, projects have started in Goa, Baroda, Surat, Rajkot and Pune through local groups in these regions.

HST works closely within the public health systems and does continuous networking with various public hospitals in Mumbai Metro. The HST was documented as Best Practices Model by UNICEF in 2003.

HST has become the first community based organization to set up its own IRB ( Institutional Review Board ), an ethic review committee that has been registered with NIH and awarded the Federal Wide Acceptance (FWA) certificate. The projects of the organization are closely monitored by a Community Advisory Board (CAB) and International Health Advisory Board ( IHAB). The project successfully completes its fourth phase of IMPACT in September 2006.


Achievements:

Key achievements of the IMPACT project titled "Yaarana" since its setting up include:

- A total of 42,400 MSM / TG reached with BCC messages through outreach activities at 127 sites in Mumbai and have been intensively serviced with 300,000 BCC contacts.

- 12,800 MSM/ TG accessed drop-in center services and regularly accessed it 31,300 times.

- 6,500 MSM/TG counseled for HIV testing and 6,320 took a HIV test of which more than 60% followed up with report collection.

- 8,831 MSM/TG referred and counseled for STI and 2,346 reported STI of which 2132 were treated for STI

- 33,06,172 condoms distributed free as well as through social marketing.

- 51,500 MSM and TG provided counseling through helpline.

- 1,200 HIV positive MSM and transgender provided care and support services

- 49 MSM and transgender living with HIV/AIDS registered under the government's anti-retroviral treatment (ART) program and other treatment sources.

- In addition, a team of around 20 Peer Educators from the community has been formed for peer education and advocacy activities have been carried out with the health department, government hospitals, Mumbai District AIDS Control Society (MDACS) and Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) leading to increased access to health services for MSM and transgender community across Mumbai city.

The data mentioned above has been provided from the MIS sheets of USAID-IMPACT project starting Feb 2001 till 31st May 2006.

In the next 12 months, a total of approximately 4,000 new MSM and transgender population will be contacted through 20,000 BCC contacts. The project will also reach around 10,000 community people on a regular basis through the drop-in-center and other community mobilization programs.

View / Download >> Final End Project Report