UNODC is cosponsor of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS - UNAIDS
RAS/H13: Training on Positive Living and Services for Female IDUs and Female Regular Sexual Partners of Male Drug Users (26-28 February 2008) and Training on Outreach Activities and Needle Syringe Program (1-3 March 2008) in Dhaka, Bangladesh
Aim:
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Agenda of Training on Positive Living and Services
To sensitize and build capacity of the staff of partner NGOs in the areas of positive living with a focus on women and services for female IDUs and female regular sexual partners of male drug users.
Basics on Needle Syringe Program (NSP) and outreach activities under the Peer Led Interventions and gender strategy of the project.
Expected outcomes:
Participation from all peer outreach staff including female staff from all four partner NGOs-CREA, APON, DAM, LIGHT HOUSE.
Develop a training plan for NGOs and demonstration sites on outreach and positive living and services for female IDUs and female regular sexual partners of male drug users.
Process of the trainings:
Mr. Humayun Kabir, DG, DNC, Dr. Md. Hanif Uddin, Deputy Programme Manager, NASP and Mr. Shahinul Islam, Director, Preventive Education, DNC before the inaugural session.
Inaugural: The first training started on 26 March 2008, and had participation from the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC), National AIDS/STD Programme (NASP) and UNAIDS. Dr. Mozammel Hoque, HIV Advisor, UNODC, Bangladesh gave the opening address and spoke on UNODCs comprehensive package approach for HIV prevention and care for IDUs and prison population. Ms. Lipi Chowdhury, Consultant Project H13 gave a briefing on the Phase II activities and the training objectives of the Project. Mr. Dan Odallo, Country Coordinator, UNAIDS, Bangladesh spoke on creating an enabling environment for drug users. He thanked the DNC for accepting and joining hands towards working on harm reduction. He highlighted that "The impact of any policy gap is greater on women and that HIV does not discriminate between gender. And thus, one needs to set the causes to address and mitigate concerns of gender in HIV."
He further urged the participants to move beyond the standard approach of using posters and leaflets for reducing stigma and discrimination, but instead make efforts to address legal loopholes that negate the stigma and discrimination especially on women. Dr. Md. Hanif Uddin, Deputy Programme Manager, NASP spoke on IDU interventions-the national response, wherein he highlighted the role of various agencies in these interventions such as UNODC, UNICEF, UNAIDS, GFATM, DNC and the civil society.
Participant presenting after a group work session and simulation exercise.
Mr. Humayun Kabir, Director General, DNC who was the chief guest at the training spoke on the DNC's strategy on drug abuse prevention and concerns of HIV in Bangladesh. He emphasized on the DNC's intention to facilitate programs that reduce the vulnerability of HIV among IDUs and the discrimination faced by IDUs. The inaugural session ended with a vote of thanks given by Mr. Shahinul Islam, Director, Preventive Education, DNC wherein he emphasized the importance of such trainings and the eager participation from various stakeholders towards combating HIV which is claiming more lives that any war.
Description of the training: The methodology used in both the trainings was participatory with role plays, simulation exercises, presentations, visits to ART service delivery and NSEP sites and minimal use of power point presentation was done. The participants were not only from H13 partner NGOs but also other civil society agencies namely, CARE and Padokhep who are implementing the NSEP. The Project is providing technical support on improving the quality of NSP programmes through the trainings to the above mentioned NGOs as was agreed in the workplan.
Participant presenting after a group work session and simulation exercise.
The trainings imparted information on prevention, treatment and care of HIV especially drug use driven HIV and included sessions on psychosocial aspects of service provision. This was done to equip the partners to deal with reducing stigma and discrimination and incorporate gender concerns in HIV interventions. Inspite of there being no ART clinic in Bangladesh, the field visits were organized at the centers providing services to People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) such as ASHAR ALO and MUKTO AKASH. For the training on NSP and Outreach, the participants were trained not only what is NSP and outreach but also on how to carry out these activities, how to plan, what precautions to keep and how to develop the peer led intervention through them. The field visits for hands on experience of NSP were made to two sites of CARE that are doing NSP in, Bangladesh.
The Project Consultant shared the quarterly activities reporting formats and urged the participants to modify it according to the scenario in Bangladesh. Also, a tentative plan for trainings on positive living at the NGO and demo site level was prepared. These trainings would incorporate 16 sessions wherein 1 topic would be done with 2 support groups over 16 weeks for all the 4 NGOs. The NGOs will finalize their plans in the next two weeks and start with the training.
Condom (male and female) and ulcer/abscess management demonstration by the participants
The posters created for positive living were also field tested and inputs have been taken from participants. The IEC material on positive living is in English and would need to be translated in Bengali.
Conclusion: The trainings concluded with the Project Consultant doing a recap of the objectives and the process including content of both the trainings. Ms. Jennifer Finch, Senior Sector Manager, AusAID expressed the importance of such training workshops especially since the HIV prevalence in Bangladesh is still low and the daunting risks can be decreased. She thanked ICDDR, B for their support and urged the participants to translate the knowledge and skills into the field and reaffirmed the commitment of AusAID through Project H13. Dr.Abul Bashar Md. Khasru, Programme Manger, NASP highlighted that drug users are no different than other human beings and expressed his concern on prevalence of drug use among the youth and college students. He emphasized the need to have better service delivery provision for women drug users. Dr. S.M Mustafa Anower, Line Director, NASP during the conclusion of the trainings remarked that, there should be such sensitization and orientation for high level government officials also. He urged participants to do community advocacy as HIV is not just a concern for GOs, NGOs and UN agencies but also of each citizen. Dr. Tasneem Azim, Head, HIV/AIDS Programme, ICDDR, B thanked everyone for their participation and the training was concluded with a commemorative photograph.
Demonstration of ulcer/abscess management by the participants
Condom (male and female) and ulcer/abscess management demonstration by the participants
Ms. Thriumagal and the Project Consultant field test the posters on Positive Living
Participants with the Trainers and Project Consultant
Mr. Humayun Kabir, DG, DNC, Dr. Md. Hanif Uddin, Deputy Programme Manager, NASP and Mr. Shahinul Islam, Director, Preventive Education, DNC before the inaugural session.
Participant presenting after a group work session and simulation exercise.
Participant presenting after a group work session and simulation exercise.
Condom (male and female) and ulcer/abscess management demonstration by the participants
Demonstration of ulcer/abscess management by the participants
Condom (male and female) and ulcer/abscess management demonstration by the participants
Ms. Thriumagal and the Project Consultant field test the posters on Positive Living
Participants with the Trainers and Project Consultant