NACO Team visits EMPHASIS program in Delhi and Gurgaon

Date: 9th October, 2012

With the objective to understand the EMPHASIS intervention and to suggest ways for better synergy with National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) and State AIDS Control Organizations (SACS), a field visit was conducted by Dr. Subash Ghosh, Programme Officer, NACO and Ms. Garima Sharma, Technical Officer (Targeted Intervention Division), NACO to EMPHASIS intervention areas in Delhi (Kapashera) and Gurgaon (Sarhaul) on 9th Oct 2012. The NACO team was accompanied by CARE India EMPHASIS Team leader Nabesh Bohidar, Manager-MED Navneet Kaur and Partnership Coordinator Mamta Behera. During the visit the team interacted with the Nepali Migrants Population (youth groups and women groups), Peer Educators and Partner NGO staffs.

Based on the discussions during the visit, EMPHASIS has worked out the existing   mapped areas in Delhi and Gurgaon vis-a-vis location of existing services under TIs by SACS. This would help to work out modalities for expansion of services by SACS and minimize duplication. Secondly the NACO team discussed about expansion of condom social marketing by linking with social marketing agency working with NACO/SACs.

It was agreed that counselling services need to focus on social and sexual network mapping, client profiling of high risk groups and barriers to condom use etc. Counselling also need to focus on vulnerability issues (employment opportunities) and risk issues (low condom use, MSM behaviour).  

NACO team committed to explore the possibility for training of EMPHASIS staffs (ORWs and counsellors) in sessions organized by NACO/SACS.  Increased engagement with placement agencies, Nepali cultural organizations, and Nepali marriage bureaus will be useful in spreading the network and reach to impact population.  Overall a positive feedback was shared by the NACO team on EMPHASIS which signifies towards scope of further convergence and synergy.