“The campaign, which started last month, will continue till February 28 and might get an extension as a large population has to be covered,” said Deepak Nikam, programme officer of Avert Society, an organisation working under the MSACS.
The Maharashtra State AIDS Control Society (MSACS) campaign aimed at educating six million migrants in the state on HIV and AIDS is on in full swing. The society is also offering free HIV tests.
“The campaign, which started last month, will continue till February 28 and might get an extension as a large population has to be covered,” said Deepak Nikam, programme officer of Avert Society, an organisation working under the MSACS.
Nikam said there are 6.2 million migrants in Maharashtra and the majority of them are from Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Goa.
“This campaign is a part of the target intervention programme started by the National AIDS Control Organisation (Naco) for sex workers and high risk population that aims at reducing the rate of transmission among the most vulnerable and marginalised population,” Nikam said.
Nikam said, “Maharashtra is the primary destination for migrants. We are not targeting the higher class, but the labourers and lower-class people as they are more vulnerable. The migrants leave their families and spouses behind.”
“It has been noticed that migration forces people to indulge in risky behaviour like visiting commercial sex workers or having unsafe sex. This increases their chances of contracting HIV. Migrants face 3.6% higher risk of getting HIV than the general population,” he said.
The district programme officer of MSACS, Dr BR Shende said, “This campaign will impart knowledge of medical help in HIV cases and locating an integrated counselling and treatment centre. The campaign has covered cities like Nashik, Mumbai and Jalgaon. It will be started in Pune in a few days.”
Five NGOs — Lokmanya Medical Foundation, Network of Maharashtra People with HIV (NMP+), Saudamini, Swami Vivekananda Pratishthan, and Network of Pune by People Living with HIV — have been included in the campaign.
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