by Corinne Demenge

31 October 2007

As a Swiss fully funded UNV intern, I have the unique opportunity to support the work and efforts of the UN World Food Programme (WFP) in India. Among other things, I am acting as the focal point for WFP’s nutritional intervention for People living with HIV/AIDS (PLHAs) in rural Bihar. The aim of this project is to improve the nutritional status of PLHAs by providing them with home take rations of fortified food, and by enabling them to access free counselling services at the Community Care Centre in Nazareth Hospital, Mokama. Nazareth hospital has been a pioneer facility in providing care and counselling to PLHAs in Bihar, a state which the National Aids Control Organization (NACO) has classified as one of the most “vulnerable” due to its high levels of poverty and out-migration, low levels of literacy and awareness of HIV/AIDS, human trafficking and an emerging injection drug problem. Most PLHAs in India still suffer from stigma and social exclusion as well as poor health and nutritional status.

As an UNV, I am advocating and working towards improved care and treatment for PLHAs. In my daily work, I cooperate closely with HIV positive patients and their caretakers, with local project and hospital staff, with state government officials and the voluntary network of PLHAs in Bihar. The project evaluation reports show that our joint efforts have been largely successful. The majority of project beneficiaries have improved their health and nutritional status. For example, over 3/4 of PLHAs have stabilized or increased their weight and muscle mass. Moreover, almost all beneficiaries reported that they felt empowered through their better access to knowledge about HIV/AIDS and about the role of nutrition/food in preventing opportunistic infections. PLHAs and their caretakers also highly valued the organized network meetings for HIV-infected and affected people at the CCC. Through the exchange of experiences, many PLHAs have found new hope and inner strength.

Having said this, my volunteer work here in India has been hugely rewarding on a professional as well as a personal level. On the one hand, I have been able to further develop my skills and knowledge with regards to project management, evaluation & monitoring or the development of IEC material. On the other hand, I have been able to actively participate in, and hence to better understand the life and struggle of PLHAs and their family members. I will never forget the joy and hope that some of our beneficiaries shared with me during my field visits in Mokama. In the future, I will certainly continue to work towards better treatment and care for PLHAs, and with it, towards the achievement of our global 6th Millennium Development Goal (combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases).