Project Sunrise to improve HIV interventions among PWID in North-Eastern states launched

Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Jagat Prakash Nadda on 6 February 2016 launched the Project Sunrise in Imphal, Manipur.

The project seeks to improve interventions against human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) among people who inject drugs (PWID) in eight north east States.

Features of Project Sunrise

• It seeks to improve coverage, quality and scale of HIV interventions among PWID, Female Injecting Drug Users (FIDU) and spouses of PWID.

• It is a 5-year programme aimed at complementing the ongoing National AIDS Control Programme (NACP).

• It will be implemented in 20 districts of 8 north eastern states at an estimated cost of 70 crore rupees.

• Under the project, needles and syringes will be made available through secondary distributors such as Government health care facilities, preferred healthcare providers, non-traditional outlets and peer volunteers,

• It includes lower threshold strategies to improve Opoid Substitution Therapy (OST), coverage and sensitization workshops for law enforcing officials.

• It also includes HIV intervention in prison settings and will adopt the National Human Resource reduction strategy.

• It will be implemented in a customized flexible approach so as to increase the availability and accessibility to clean needles and syringes.

• Initiatives under the project are to be implemented through the existing system in close co-ordination with State AIDS Control Societies (SACS).

Now get latest Current Affairs on mobile, Download # 1  Current Affairs App