UNODC is cosponsor of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS - UNAIDS
Project - I 49 Training Programmes
South Asia is experiencing an increasingly feminized and drug-related epidemic of HIV/AIDS.
Project I49, is part of UNODC ROSA's response to address
the feminization of the epidemic in India.
Through this project, UNODC ROSA, in partnership with UNIFEM, in collaboration with the Government of India, and supported by UNAIDS and DFID, is strengthening the technical capacities of women's groups and NGOs working in drug demand reduction to reduce HIV-related vulnerabilities among women partners of male drug users.
A situation assessment report on substance use related HIV vulnerabilities among women users and female partners of male drug users is carried out.
Delivery capacity of service providers are strengthened.
Technical capacities of the National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development National Institute of Public Cooperation, and the Department of Women and Child Development are strengthened.
Demonstration sites are put in place.
In order to carry out objectives (a) and (b), 110 partner NGOs were identified from across the country in 25 states. These partner NGOs will undertake activities related to data collection and provision of support/services to female drug users and female partners of male drug users.
A training strategy has been developed to provide these partner NGOs with the requisite training in order to build skills in data collection and impart knowledge on issues related to drug/HIV vulnerability of women. The training strategy includes four regional training programmes of a duration of five days each as follows:
Upon completion of the training, partner NGOs will return to their respective communities and initiate the task of data collection. Currently not enough is known about the needs of women drug users and women partners of drug users, therefore local situation and need specific data would be very valuable in designing interventions to effectively address the needs of women affected by substance use.
Participants attending these training programmes will return and train their staff in providing gender sensitive and specific services to this vulnerable group of women.
