India is fighting the coronavirus pandemic that has spread to every corner of the world. We are consistently following the National guideline for COVID -19  infection control and prevention at our 300+ Care Centres across 32 states in India providing healthcare services to nearly 1.4 million children and adults living with HIV registered with our programme. We are leveraging our experience in community action and working closely with the government at national and state level in our HIV-COVID-19 Response.

People living with HIV and TB are most vulnerable owing to their already fragile immune conditions. An uninterrupted treatment for people living with HIV means they are less likely to get infected by COVID-19 thereby contributing immensely to slowing the spread and flatten the curve.

Key measures being taken are:

• Emphasis on hygiene: encourage personal hygiene habits and provide protective equipment facility for all frontline health workers and beneficiaries.
• Information dissemination: Encourage community involvement and disseminating awareness messages on personal hygiene, social distancing, and triage of symptomatic PLHIV
• Access to healthcare facilities:
  • Strategies like a multi-month dispensation of antiretroviral medicine,
  • Community dispensation through HIV Centres & Home delivery through health workers complying with social distancing especially for elderly and bedridden.
  • Volunteers, PLHIV networks and family dispensation of commodities
• Counselling & Mental Health Support to high-risk HIV population during these crisis times
• Crisis Response – create a pool of resources for urgent health needs, nutrition, essential supplies and livelihood needs of children and adults living with HIV

Our Impact

The data provided are through 7th July 2020:

• 826, 511 beneficiaries were provided telephonic counselling on COVID-19 and antiretroviral treatment (ART) adherence.
• 732878 were facilitated access to collect their antiretroviral medication.
• 118456 beneficiaries received home delivery of antiretroviral medication.
• 9796 Persons among the total number of PLHIV were from high-risk groups (Women in Sex Work, Men who have sex with men, Transgender and People who use drugs).
• 143455 people were supported with food supplies and other critical support with the help of partners

Children and adults need your support during this pandemic crisis. With much-needed prudence, tenacity and your generous support, we can effectively battle out corona pandemic by safeguarding and facilitating improved hygiene and immunity conditions for one of the most high-risk populations across the country.

We urge people to act with kindness, not stigma and discrimination towards vulnerable communities today.