Support Indians living with HIV/AIDS

There are over two million People Living with HIV and AIDS (PLHA) in India, and Maharashtra has the second highest number of people afflicted by the disease, with an estimated one-fifth (18% or 4.20 lakh) of the people living with HIV/AIDS in India living in the High Prevalence State. Maharashtra was also estimated to have the highest number of new HIV infections in 2019 (8.54 thousand).

PLHA require a range of specialised HIV services including care, treatment and support. Out hospital and outreach work play a crucial role in identifying and enabling PLHAs to access ART as well as providing monitoring, follow-up, counseling support to those who are initiated on ART, positive prevention, drug adherence, nutrition counseling etc. This helps prevent the progression of the infection and consequent weakening of the immune system which also makes them vulnerable to opportunistic infections (OIs) such as TB.

Snehalaya runs the only hospital specializing in the care of patients affected by HIV in India, and we offer treatment and dignity to those that others turn away.

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Specialised medical treatment is expensive and discrimination against the treatment of PLHA is prevalent, which is why our medical facilities are vital in providing life-saving medical treatment. Our 30-bed hospital provides free or subsidised healthcare to over 25,000 PLHA and their families. Our hospital, which opened in May 2017, offers a surgical unit meaning we can provide life-saving surgery to those who face discrimination and refusal of treatment based on their HIV status in our local hospitals. Other facilities include an emergency room, pre- and post-natal care, respirators, a dental clinic and X-ray and laboratory testing facilities.

We also conduct HIV testing through a mobile unit, reaching out to the furthest corners of our district. It also forms part of our regular sexual health testing among our 4,000+ sex worker and MSM communities which has seen a drastic reduction in new cases.

As well as treating in and our patients at our hospital, we are working with the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) and Maharashtra State AIDS Control Society (MSACS) to raise awareness and prevention of HIV/AIDS. We also conduct regular outreach work, distribute free condoms and conduct testing to identify new cases of PLHA. For those who test positive we offer emotional and practical support from shelter and healthcare to a unique marriage match making program to find life partners. We also help in the monitoring and administration of ART and during the COVID lockdowns we delivered ART medication to over 300 people unable to collect it from our district AIDS unit.

Our adoption center also helps babies orphaned and diagnosed with HIV. Using pre- and post-natal medication we are also able to successfully prevent the transmission of HIV from mother to baby. Our aim is to prevent all second generation HIV and also stop new cases, given the medical advances being made it is realistic to see a future where HIV/AIDS is history!