Vijay Krida Mandal

Initiated in January 2007, Uday is a collaborative effort with the Mumbai Districts AIDS Control Society, focusing on preventing parent-to-child transmission in the Mulund area. This vital project aims to curb the transmission of HIV from parents to their children, emphasizing proactive measures and support systems to safeguard the health of the community. By working in partnership with local authorities, Uday addresses the critical issue of preventing HIV transmission within families, contributing to overall public health initiatives.

Conceived in collaboration with Family Health International and the Society for Services to Voluntary Agencies (SOSVA) since March 2005, the AASTHA project aims to minimize and prevent the transmission of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) and AIDS among Bar Girls. Operating in the Eastern Suburbs of Mumbai, specifically between Ghatkopar and Mulund, this initiative focuses on creating awareness and implementing measures to safeguard the health of Bar Girls and reduce the incidence of STIs and HIV-AIDS within this community.

It focuses on supporting commercial sex workers (CSWs) from impoverished backgrounds, often lured into the profession by false promises or circumstances. The project, initiated in June 2002, aims to provide previously unavailable facilities to CSWs. Named 'Disha,' it emphasizes personal hygiene, safe sex practices, and empowerment. Activities include training peer educators, literacy programmes, forming self-help groups, outreach efforts, workshops, condom distribution, health education, counselling, and community events, all geared towards empowering and mainstreaming these women.

Initiated in collaboration with the Mumbai District AIDS Control Society (MDACS) in 1999, the Truckers Project aimed to curb HIV-AIDS transmission among truckers. By 2007, following new guidelines from the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO), the project transitioned to the Truckers Association. Despite this, ongoing outreach services, funded by individual donors and income from a computer institute, persist. Operating at Mulund Check Naka (west), the project provides training, distributes free condoms, and offers medical services to truckers, with 1550 individuals contacted this year.

HIV transmission from an infected mother to her unborn child poses risks during pregnancy, delivery, and breastfeeding. VKM initiated KIRAN in collaboration with Mumbai Districts AIDS Control Society in 2006 to reduce this transmission risk from 35% to 5-10% by 2007-2010. The project employs various strategies, including identifying and referring expectant mothers, organising review meetings, conducting field-level counselling, and fostering collaboration with healthcare providers, community health volunteers, and other NGOs.