Gujarat State AIDS Prevention and Control Society (GSACS) is a state level agency for implementation of programs of NACO. NACO is an agency that works under Ministry of Health & Welfare, Government of India. GSACS envisions a State where every person living with HIV has access to quality care and is treated with dignity. Effective prevention, care and support for HIV/AIDS is possible in an environment where human rights are respected and where those infected or affected by HIV/AIDS live a life without stigma and discrimination. GSACS has taken measures to ensure that people living with HIV have equal access to quality health services by fostering close collaboration with NGOs, positive people’s networks and communities. The most effective means of controlling the spread of HIV in India is through the implementation of Targeted Interventions (TIs) amongst the persons most vulnerable to HIV/AIDS, such as female sex workers (FSW), men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender (TG) and injecting drug users (IDU). In addition, the bridge populations of truckers and migrants also require focused interventions. BSST has been implementing the TI project with special focus on core group (FSW) and migrants who are among the high risk group to carry HIV/AIDS in Mahesana and Ahmedabad since last few years. In order to standardize the approach to scaling up coverage among those core groups and bridge populations and maintain a high level of quality, it is important to provide detailed information on various operational issues in TIs.
BSST carried out various activities which benefited 5000 people in Ahmedabad & 700 people in Mahesana. Major activities included World AIDS Day celebration which offered the key opportunity to increase the awareness among people, most possible access to the treatment as well as discussing the preventive measures. Apart from Worlds Aids Day celebration campaigns were also held for inter personal behavior change communication (BCC), Promotion/ distributions of condoms, Provision of services for Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), Linkages to Integrated Counseling and Testing Services (ICTC), Advocacy for Enabling Environment.