LEPRA Society

Introduction
Health Camps
Outreach activities:
Supportive

Introduction

Care and Support to PLHA in Hyderabad (CHEYUTHA)

Cheyutha is a Telugu word (local language of Andhra Pradesh) which means ‘a supporting hand’. The People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) group organised under the banner of Network of People Positive – now known as HIV of People Positive Efficiency Society (HOPES) chose the name for their new initiative. Cheyutha was launched on 8th February, 2005.

HIV of Positive People Efficiency Society is a community-based organisation, established by like-minded people living with HIV/AIDS in A.P. Cheyutha extends help, advice and support to PLHA living mainly in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad and Nalgonda District.

It also helps the families to accept the infected without prejudice and discrimination.

Keeping the needs in mind, the following activities have been initiated.

Clinical facility: The project provides presumptive and regular treatment for opportunistic infections and treatment for opportunistic infections. Every Wednesday and Saturday, clinics are organised at Cheyutha office, and economically poor patients are supported with free drugs.
Counselling: Members are counselled in groups as well as individually, depending on the need and issues. During the counselling sessions, issues related to positive living, safe sex practices, nutrition and treatment awareness are covered.
Nutritional support: ATMIT Powder (nutritional powder) is provided to the terminally sick patients, monthly ration is provided to the orphaned children living with their grandparents.
Resource Centre: PLHA visiting the centre are provided with the information on services available for them, literature on HIV/AIDS, positive living and related issues.
Referral Centre: Cheyutha works as a referral centre for PLHA referred by others for Cheyutha services and Cheyutha, in turn, refers to other service providers for services not available at Cheyutha.

Child-centered activity: A number of activities are envisaged like a children’s corner (one side of the office is set aside for children to enable them to play) while the parents spend an uninterrupted time with the staff/doctors, educational support, a summer camp (where children are taught new skills), children’s day programme (where competitions are held and prizes given away). New born baby kits (started by Latter Day Saint Charities) are delivered to HIV positive women on delivery.
Training on occupational skills: In collaboration with Satyam computers, the first batch of ten students have been trained on data entry.
AASHA Programme of APSACS: Many of the network members share their experience with the general public.
Media Advocacy: Programmes were conducted with the help of media to create mass awareness to improve the understanding of the general public with the help of television channels like ETV2, BBC, and TV9.
Capacity building: Network members and staff are involved in the capacity building programmes to upgrade their skills.
Networking: Organisations, hospitals and centres like State TB Chest Hospital, Osmania General Hospital for ARV treatment, VCCTC, PPTCT, Freedom Foundation, 1097- Help Line, Bhavani short stay home, Freedom Foundation Shivananda rehabilitation home, HRLN (Human Rights Law Network Lawyer’s Collective) etc also involved in extending help and support.
Promote and protect the rights of the infected and affected : HOPES is working with the Networking of Lawyer’s Collective - HRLN (Human Rights Law Network Lawyer’s Collective). Eight property cases have been filled with the help of HRLM for their property rights.

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Health Camps and weekly clinics

S.No	Clinics/ Camps	Place/ year	Total No.	New Member	Adults		Children
S.No	Clinics/ Camps	Place/ year	Total No.	New Member	M	F	M	F
1.	Clinics	Cheyutha Hyderabad 2005	1412	319	696	645	63	36
2.	Health camps	Cheyutha Bhongir 2005	853	156	349	442	53	29
	Total		2265	475	1045	1087	116	65

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Outreach activities:

S.No.	Activity	Achieved
1.	Contact with new PLHA	451
2	No. of Govt. Hospitals sensitised	21
3	No. of VCCTCs sensitised	8
4	No. of PPTCTCs sensitised	8
5	No. of Pvt. Hospitals sensitised	39
6	No. of RMPs sensitised	14
7	No. of NGOs sensitised	28
8	No. of PLHA assisted in Hospital admission	28
9	No. of PLHA assisted for CD4 Test	120
10	No. of PLHA assisted for ARV Treatment	116
11	No. of PLHA assisted/referred for TB treatment	14
12	No. of PLHA referred to other service providers	20
14	No. of children identified for Educational Support	109

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Supportive programme:

S.No.	Activity		benefitted
1	Nutrition supplement
	A	ATMIT Powder	101
	B	Ration support	50
2	New born baby kit		150
3	Summer camp		35
4	Children’s day celebrations		40
5	Picnic		35
5	Education support		109
	Rehabilitation		4

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Cheyutha promoted leadership and initiative of the People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) to take up activities to enable them to address the various needs, especially psycho-social and rehabilitative support. The group proved capable enough to successfully handle responsibilities entrusted to them by Andhra Pradesh State AIDS Control Society, including PPTCTC plus project.

One of the important activities this year was the formation of district wise network to be affiliated to state-wide and nation-wide networks.

Cheyutha in Bhongir of Nalgonda district also got strengthened. India HIV/AIDS Alliance, Delhi, channelised DFID Challenge Fund projects in Hyderabad, Bhongir, Kamareddy and Bhubaneswar sites, which envisages PLHA leadership in community-led sexual health and HIV awareness programmes leading to better acceptability of PLHA in the community. Cheyutha has also taken up rights-based issues including institutional discrimination, property and inheritance rights etc. These issues will be further pursued along with rehabilitation, child support and other welfare activities. In 2007, Bhongir and Kamareddy sites will be given priority, while achievements at Hyderabad will be further consolidated.