Our projects

Youth Development Programme

Adolescence is a turning point in one’s life, a period of increased potential but also one of greater vulnerability.

Initiating and supporting a process to address the youth of the country by forming a core group from the faith-based organizations by collation of the best available material from all the religious/ faith based groups to develop a life skills module that could be used by all religious/ faith based groups is one of the goals set by the faith-based organizations who have come together to address this issue of prime importance.

One project assigned with above mentioned objective to The four partners: Art of Living (AOL) Arya Samaj, CBCI Youth Commission and CARITAS.

This Project aims at sensitizing the members especially the youth through development of a common life skill module and capacity building training Programme.

The action plan for the first year has been identified as follows:

• To develop a Training Module on Life skills for Youth and adolescents to be used by Faith Based Organizations
• To identify and develop a cadre of Master Trainers ( 5 from each partner organization)
• To identify and develop a cadre of second level trainers in each organization

Activities undertaken till of date:

• Desk review of existing module on life skill
• Need assessment training at Rohtak and Cuttack
• Training module on life skills for youth and adolescents developed.

The training of master trainers was held from 2nd to the 6th of March ’08. Trainers from each organization were trained on life skills.

Fixed Dose combination study

There is an urgent need for affordable, safe, easy to use high quality ARV formulations appropriate for paediatric use to facilitate programming planning, improve adherence and facilitate scale up of HIV care for children, in line with a public health approach. The recent production of child-friendly fixed dose combination (FDC) antiretroviral by several generic manufacturers represents a significant and welcome advance. The World Health Organization (WHO) paediatric ARV working group has endorsed FDCs for children as a way to increase global scale up of paediatric care and treatment, facilitate national planning and improve the practicalities of drug dosing and adherence for children.

In November 2006, with the support of the Clinton Foundation (CHAI), UNICEF and WHO; India became the first country to adopt these formulations into a national paediatric treatment programme. Since that time, there has been a marked increase in the numbers of children accessing treatment. Documentation of India’s remarkable progress-to-date and understanding the lessons learned from this rollout is critical for NACO and its partners, and will also be very useful to guide other countries as they consider the inclusion of paediatric FDCs in their respective national formulary. In addition, a report “from the field” will be valuable to the WHO prequalification programme which is currently in the process of assessing paediatric FDC dossiers for quality, safety and efficacy.

WHO in collaboration with NACO and Clinton Foundation undertook a rapid assessment of India’s paediatric HIV care and treatment programme in order to document the benefits and potential challenges of introduction and implementation of paediatric FDCs. The study was conducted by Partners in Development Initiatives (PDI) in Nov-Dec 2007, with funding support from WHO.

Objectives

• To document the experience of implementation and acceptability of FDCs.
• To demonstrate the impact FDCs on clinical treatment of children.

1. Postal survey by sending self-administered questionnaires to ART centre teams across the country
2. In depth interviews with the ART centre teams comprising of the Medical Officer/paediatrician, counselor, and pharmacist from selected government ART centres with high paediatric load- 3 each in Mumbai and Delhi.
   In addition in-depth interviews with 4 private physicians experienced in paediatric HIV care in Mumbai and Pune were carried out.
3. Focus group discussions with the patients and their caregivers in each ART centre visited.

Review of clinical records to measure the efficacy of FDCs-
Review of monthly ART centre reports: All ART centres were requested to send their monthly ART centre reports for the previous 6 months.

The documentation process covered a number of different areas:
Qualitative assessment with regard to Treatment issues, Counseling issues, Acceptability, Logistic issues and Capacity building issues and training needs

Quantitative Assessment pertaining to an objective assessment of the paediatric load at the ART centres and their treatment outcomes; average consumption of various paediatric FDC drugs, adequacy of stocks of ARV and OI drugs and Clinical response analysis.

Findings:
• Treatment provided by both M.O and Paedetrician
• WHO, NACO, IAP guidelines used.
• Most of the doctor, caregiver, pharmacist & counselor give treatment education.
• FDCs easy to dispense and administer
• Better tolerated & accepted compliance & FU satisfactory. Complaints are few.

Sensitization Programme for NCC

NCC cadets are disciplined, young and vibrant yet part of the most vulnerable population to high risk behavior leading to HIV/AIDS. They need to be provided with the scientifically correct information to channelize their creativity and energy towards responsible citizen. It is with this notion that the orientation training programme on HIV/AIDS have been organized under the aegis of PDI to orient and sensitize the young vulnerable NCC cadets about the menace of HIV to help them acquire the skills to protect and enable them to become the ambassadors of HIV/AIDS prevention.

PDI was requested to assist in mainstreaming HIV/AIDS into the NCC training and sensitize them on ‘basics of HIV’ in an interactive way for 800 cadets both boys and girls from age group of 12 to 19 years in two batches. The workshop was held on 30th November and 26th December 2007’ at, NCC Battalion, B-6, Safderjung Enclave. The objective of the programme was

• To build an enabling environment for addressing adolescent reproductive and sexual health (ARSH), HIV/AIDS, substance abuse and gender issues.
• To create awareness for HIV prevention and services and promote a supportive environment against Stigma and Discrimination.
• To remove myths and misconceptions on ARSH and HIV/AIDS.
• To generate interest among adolescents and young people to adopt healthy lifestyle.
• To test a learning model for increasing knowledge and building life skills of adolescents in the context of ARSH.

Process
The awareness programme was done through large group interactive methods. The programme was divided into 3 activities

1. Self assessment of attitudes
   This was an anonymous self assessment of the cadets towards youth engaged in high risk behaviors and demonstrating alternative sexuality.
2. Case scenarios
   This was a group discussion wherein the cadets need to state what they would do in each of the six situations.
3. Quiz
   This was a group discussion wherein the cadets need to state what they would do in each of the six situations.

Outcome of the workshop
The cadets were provoked to think about the right attitude from the self assessment and the case scenario helped them to overcome stigma and discrimination associated HIV and sexual issues and the quiz enhanced knowledge on HIV/AIDS.

FAQs: One database of FAQs on different topics developed for the use of youth.

Mainstreaming HIV & AIDS in the Ministry of Rural Development

Partners in Development Initiatives (PDI) has been awarded a project by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for Mainstreaming HIV and AIDS in the Ministry of Rural Development. The aim of the UNDP/NACO mainstreaming project is “to support national efforts in halting and reversing the epidemic in India over the next five years (2007-2012) through mainstreaming HIV and AIDS in development responses”. The nature of service has four components:

• Designing training sessions including content and material.
• Conducting four workshops for personnel of Ministry of Rural Development.
• Documentation of Workshop.
• Production of consolidated report.

As part of UNDP/NACO Mainstreaming Project, with a goal, to support national efforts in halting and reversing the epidemic in India over the next 5 years (2007-2012) through mainstreaming HIV & AIDS in development responses, Partners in Development Initiatives (PDI) in collaboration with UNDP and Ministry of Rural Development organised series of 5 sensitisation workshops for the staff of Ministry of Rural Development. Different categories of personnel from all the three departments i.e. Department of Rural development, Department of Land Resource and Department of Drinking Water Supply actively participated in the one day workshops.

The main purpose of the sensitization programme was to:

1. Enhance commitment towards reducing vulnerability to HIV and AIDS through activities of R & D Ministry.
2. Help the staff identify their individual and collective learning needs related to mainstreaming Of HIV and AIDS

Objectives of the workshop
Looking at the diverse roles of participants in the ministry, two different approaches and thereby set of objectives were developed for the series.
For the first three workshops where more of section officers and assistant engineers were expected, the objectives developed were as,
By the end of one-day sensitisation programme on HIV and AIDS, the staff of R&D Ministry would have:

1. Demonstrated enhanced knowledge about basic facts on HIV and AIDS;
2. Described the social and ethical issues related to HIV and AIDS that help propagate the epidemic; and
3. Described at least three ways in which their work can reduce vulnerability towards HIV and AIDS.

For the last two workshops for under-secretaries, deputy secretaries and other senior staff members, the objectives were outlined as,
By the end of half-day sensitisation programme on HIV and AIDS, the staff of R&D Ministry would have:

1. Identified their learning needs related to basic facts on HIV and AIDS in general and mainstreaming HIV and AIDS in particular;
2. Described steps they would take to mainstream HIV and AIDS in their ministry

SHIC (Sexual Health Information Centre)

Sexual Health Information Centre has been planned to serve as a one point source of reliable and relevant information related to HIV/AIDS available in India.

This centre will enable the development of an online knowledge repository on Sexual Health and HIV/AIDS, to be utilized by Programme Planners and the implementers at the Central and State levels in the AIDS Control Programme, healthcare professionals, policy makers, individual scholars and concerned civil society groups in the country.

SHIC would develop as a dynamic forum for generating evidence, information and learning that would initiate action at different levels.

It will provide customized information and evidence to users both on demand as well as proactive dissemination on a periodic basis available to interested individuals /institutions /organizations.

It will offer space and opportunities for individuals, organizations and agencies to showcase and share their work and learning's through various physical and virtual modes. These would include having designated information corners with the SHIC Documentation Centre and also electronic space on the web.

The centre is currently managed by Partners in Development Initiatives (PDI).

Seher (Resource Center on SRH and Young People)

The resource centre has been set up to provide access to strategic information, knowledge, experience and expertise on Young Peoples’ Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH). There are various inititiatives being promoted on young people’s sexual and reproductive health issues in India. The resource centre serves as a space for policy makers, programmers, institutions, individuals and young people for knowledge sharing and resource building.

The centre is a part of the Sexual Health and Information that is currently set up as a Knowledge Management hub for all the activities relating to SRH including HIV/AIDS in India. This initiative has been set up by Partners in Development Initiatives (PDI) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

We acknowledge the national and international organisations, individuals and experts for their contributions for the resource centre.