Avahan in Andhra Pradesh: Expanded Access and Increased Impact

indiaaidsalliance 29 December, 2012

Avahan India AIDS Initiative is a focused prevention initiative funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that works in six states of India to reduce HIV transmission and the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in vulnerable high-risk populations—female sex workers (FSWs), men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgenders—through prevention education and services. The programme’s main components are condom promotion, STI management, behavior change communication, community mobilisation, and advocacy. Avahan also supports the creation of an enabling environment through individual and organisational capacity building to increase the effectiveness of the HIV response.

India HIV/AIDS Alliance is a state lead partner for Avahan in Andhra Pradesh. Alliance India’s efforts in the state have strengthened the capacity of NGOs and CBOs to implement quality HIV and STI programming in close partnership with the State AIDS Control Society (SACS) and in accordance with the National AIDS Control Programme.

Alliance India’s work with Avahan in Phase I covered 13 districts of the Telangana and Rayalseema regions in Andhra Pradesh and reached nearly 72,000 FSWs and MSM. Now in Phase II, Alliance India is transitioning programme activities to the state government as planned and supporting efforts to further strengthen community mobilisation with beneficiary groups to ensure sustainability of prevention activities under government support.

To learn more about our Avahan work in Andhra Pradesh, please download our brochure here.

____________________________

The author this post, Dr. M. Ravikanth, is Documentation & Communication Specialist, India HIV/AIDS Alliance.

The Avahan India AIDS Initiative (2003-2013) is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The programme aims to reduce HIV transmission and the prevalence of STIs in vulnerable high-risk populations, specifically female sex workers, MSM, and transgenders, through prevention education and services such as condom promotion, STI management, behavior change communication, community mobilization, and advocacy. Avahan works in six states, and Alliance India is a state lead partner in Andhra Pradesh.