| ACET International involvement in India
is growing rapidly. India is facing an AIDS catastrophe in excess
of that in sub-Saharan Africa. India's population of over 1 billion
is greater than the whole of the African continent. By mid 1996, UNAIDS
estimated that between 2.5 million and 5 million people were already
infected with HIV in India. Current levels of infection are
uncertain but could be as high as 5-10 million people.
We are seeing the same patterns of spread as has been the case
in sub-Saharan Africa over a decade ago. If current trends
continue we could see up to 200 million HIV infected in India over
the next 20 years.
Already parts of cities like Mumbai are showing levels in excess
of 2.5%, and around half the adults in many parts of the city show
active signs of sexually transmitted diseases, which are one of
the greatest co-factors for rapid HIV spread. Many groups
of commercial sex workers are up to 70% positive and at least 100,000
men every night enter the Mumbai red light district. Migrant
worker patterns mean that men infected in cities return home four
weeks a year, to rural areas where most people are unaware that
illness of any kind can be spread through sexual relationships.
And then there is also the problem of drugs: Places like
Manipur in NE India are just a few miles from the Mynamar border,
on the heroin trail. Some border towns have up to 20% or their
population using heroin daily, of which half are already carrying
HIV.
GIVE NOW TO ACET INDIA 
ACET INTERNATIONAL is supporting a wide variety of HIV initiatives
in India which includes the following:
CANA - Christian AIDS National
Alliance - a national network of over 350 Christian agencies involved
in HIV projects. ACET International has helped to fund a medical
consultant to the CANA team, and has provided in partnership with Operation Mobilisation many thousands of AIDS and You books in several languages. CANA has a vital role
in accelerating a national response to AIDS from among the Christian
community of over 25 million people in India. CANA held its
second national conference in Bangalore in April 2002, attended
by over 750 delegates.
Positive Steps, the lead
member of the ACET International Alliance (Scotland) for channelling
funds from the UK and other resources to partners in India, is also
heavily involved in providing staff secondments, on-site training
and other support to several different projects in North India,
including Michael's House in Delhi.
Emmanuel Hospitals Association
-
ACET International Alliance supports two projects run by EHA
1) EHA DELHI AIDS community
care team - Started in March 2000, and already well-established
as a mobile community care programme. Now the Delhi team runs clinics and a residential care unit providing expert medical care for ten adults and children who are ill with AIDS. ACET provided the original start-up funding for the project and continues to support the work, which is becoming a reference point for other organisations planning similar work, and has already provided technical consulting and evaluation for a recently established home care service in Mumbai (Bethany Trust / Lok Hospital).
2) EHA MIZORAM AIDS PREVENTION PROGRAMME
- For several years ACET International Alliance has channelled financial
support to EHA work in Mizoram (N E India), for a project reaching many drug users and others, with prevention programmes and treatment facilities.
Calcutta Samaritans
ACET International Alliance has supported several programmes run by Calcutta
Samaritans and Emmanuel Ministries
- including pilot prevention programmes in Mizoram, and on the Bangladesh
border (Murshidabad) among truckers and commercial sex workers,
Emmanuel school providing outstanding education for children of exceptionally poor families, and a rehabilitation / residential project for drug-addicted street children.
Viyayan and Premila Pavamani - founders of Calcutta Samaritans and Emmanuel Ministries, with daughter Vandana (left) and Sheila Dixon (right)
Emmanuel School Calcutta - most of the children come from very low-income households, and are sponsored so they can receive education
Calcutta Samaritan's has a residential unit for teenagers, many of whom have been rescued from lifestyles that placed them at risk, living on the streets
Calcutta Samaritans also runs pavement schools in slum areas, providing a very basic education for children who otherwise would have no education at all
Oasis - Mumbai
ACET International supports the work of Oasis India in Mumbai with small
children who are living on railway stations, many of whom either have no parents or who have run away from home, often hundreds of miles away, following abuse and other severe problems.
These children are exceptionally vulnerable and at constant risk of being recruited as commercial sex workers, during which they are often forcibly raped and turned into slaves for the pleasure of adults. The project provides informal education and a supervised environment during the day, as well as food, and some also are able to sleep at the project at night..
PACE-ACT - Mumbai
ACET International has supported the work of PACE-ACT in prevention
in schools and in care. There are over 700 church schools
in Mumbai, many of which want HIV prevention programmes.
Country
Facts
Maps and country facts from: CIA
World Factbook 1999
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India