February 2011 - CII

eaching outHIV/AIDS initiativesHIV/AIDS Target Intervention Project continuesTo counter the vulnerability amongst the workforce in MandiGobindgarh, CII Northern Region initiated a HIV/AIDS TargetIntervention Project with assistance from Punjab State AIDS ControlSociety from July 2010.Under the project,• A need assessment survey was conducted that necessitatedpromoting HIV/AIDS awareness, condom promotion, sexuallytransmitted infections referral services amongst migrantswhose majority came from UP and MP• A pool of voluntary peer leaders from the migrant communityhave been identified and through their support over 2700workers have been registered by five out reach worker staff• Four health camps have been organised and exposure visit tothe red ribbon express in Mandi Gobindgarh was facilitated• Counseling services and referral services have been providedto the workers as an ongoing measureMembers can support the project in the following ways:• Providing easy access to the project staff for interactingwith the workers• Identification of some workers who can act as peerleaders (each peer leader coordinates with 100 workers)• Allowing to place for a condom vending box at thepremises; to be administered by some sincere worker sothat the same are not wasted and availability is ensured• Allowing to use the facility during free hours forconducting street plays / puppet shows / health campsWorld AIDS Day 2010, 1 December 2010, ChandigarhCII donated packets of soya based nutritional supplements to 30 HIV positives associated with Chandigarh network of People Livingwith HIV/AIDS (PLHAs) on advent of World AIDS Day 2010.Ms Charu Mathur, Regional Director, CII Northern Region, stated that in countries like ours where HIV infection is becoming a chronic,episodic condition, rehabilitation services have the potential to play an expanded role for PLHAs. However, little is known aboutrehabilitation in the context of HIV. The World AIDS Day calls upon for sustained involvement of all to contribute towards rehabilitationand support of HIV affected.CII also organised a session on ‘Appreciative Inquiry’ whose proceeds were donated to the HIV positives. Around 30 children and 40adult PLHIVs attended the programmeCorporates work towards sensitising society on HIV/AIDS, 21 January 2011, New DelhiConfederation of Indian Industry and Delhi State AIDS ControlSociety got together and organised a session on "Waking Up toRisk: Corporate Responsibility" to tackle HIV/AIDs. The sessionaimed at increasing the level of awareness and behaviouralchange towards employees/colleagues suffering from HIV/AIDSat workplaces.Ms Meenakshi Dhanda, Convenor, Core Group on Health & CSRSub-Committee CII, Northern Region announced that CII hadstarted a toll free service on HIV/AIDS in English, Hindi, Urduand Punjabi languages. (BSNL/MTNL users can call on 1800-180-2008,). She further stated that CII has trained 55,000 peoplethrough workshops in order to strengthen corporate responsibility.In addition, 463 professionals have been trained on anti-retroviraltherapy and 242 corporate members are signatory to the HIVpolicy for CII. The session was attended by over 40 companiesfrom in and around Delhi.f e b r u a r y 2 0 1 131