SWASTI IN COLLABORATION WITH USAID, NACO AND THE STATE AIDS CONTROL SOCIETY IMPLEMENTED A PILOT PROJECT TO IMPROVE THE ACCESSIBILITY AND AVAILABILITY OF HIV SERVICES

Swasti Health Catalyst, a notfor-profit health organisation, implemented a Communityled Monitoring (CLM) pilot project with support from its funding partner USAID-PEPFAR, the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) and the concerned State AIDS Control Society to improve the accessibility and availability of HIV services in New Delhi, Maharashtra and Telangana. With a focus on community system strengthening the national programme conducted from May 2021 to September 2022 in 2 districts of Maharashtra – Thane & Pune, 5 districts of Telangana – Rangareddy, Karimnagar, Hyderabad, Mahabubnagar, & Nalgonda and 3 districts of Delhi – North East, North West & Central Delhi.

Swasti took up the development and piloting of the Community-led Monitoring (CLM) for improving HIV service quality and access which is an accountability mechanism led and implemented by local representatives of the key population – female sex workers, men who have sex with men, injecting drug users, transgenders and people living with HIV (PLHIV). In the three States, over 160+ Community Representatives (CR’S) volunteered to be a part of the initiative. 590+ HIV service facilities and centers across the three states were visited in the first two rounds of CLM. Dr. Bhawani Singh, Deputy Director, NACO said, “The community should be at the forefront in 600+ districts and should lead the efforts, represent and voice what is important to them. This approach can help ensure that the facilities are providing quality HIV services that beneficiaries want to utilize, improves the patient experience, and ultimately improves patient outcomes”.