HIV/AIDS is a medico social problem being faced by India as a public health challenge over the last two decades.  In a country of over one billion, 5.1 million people have been estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS (NACO, 2004). Though this is less than one per cent of the country's population, still India has the second highest number of people living with HIV/AIDS in the world after South Africa. Out of 5.19 million HIV infected people in the country, about 6.41 lakhs are children below 14 yrs. of age and there are 4,744 reported AIDS cases amongst children. Besides this, the number of children who have either one or both parents HIV positive or who have lost both their parents to HIV/AIDS is also on the rise .As per the “Children on the brink” report (2004), India has about 12 lakh children who have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS and with the increasing sero prevalence, this figure is expected to dramatically rise to 27 lakhs in the next 10 years. The   increase in orphaning due to HIV/AIDS will not only raise the number of orphans, but will also increase the difficulties of meeting the needs of these children. The numbers of double orphans will increase, raising the number of dependents in households fostering children without parents and increase in numbers of street children. All this will put Institutions under great pressure.  

 Plan India which has the distinction of working with children has got support from DFID to develop and innovative child friendly   HIV/AIDS Awareness Package (HAAP). The HAAP Package is designed to generate awareness on HIV/AIDS with special focus on stigma and discrimination through a variety of exciting tools that utilize the strengths of both traditional and electronic media. The HAAP package contains IEC material in the form of puppets, comics, computer games, an animation film and a multi-media CD-Rom.  The package has been developed with, by, and for children during a series of capacity building workshops. The development process was guided by a core team with representatives from NACO, DFID, UNAIDS, INP+ and Plan. 

<>As a logical follow up to the development of HAAP kit, Plan in partnership with its NGO partners organized series of dissemination meetings at the community level in 20 locations in five project states. The children who had earlier participated in HAAP development also took lead in demonstrating the kit at the community meetings.  The follow up discussion with participants in these meetings determined community’s 

endorsement and validation of HAAP kit.  The dissemination meetings at the community level are currently being followed by state level dissemination meetings with key stakeholders and players in each of the state.  These meetings are being organized in collaboration with NACO and its state counterparts. An important objective of these meetings is to demonstrate/share the HAAP kit with the participants followed by discussion around the possible strategies for its wider outreach and dissemination. 

We are organising the  first state level dissemination meeting of HIV/AIDS Awareness Package (HAAP) in Mumbai on February 8( Thurs), 07, from 2-5 pm.  The venue for the meeting is at SP Jain Institute of Management & Research, Bhavan’s College Campus, Andheri (West).  

Agenda-

2-2.30 pm	Registration of Participants
2.30 – 2.35 pm	Lighting of lamp	By children
2.35 – 2.45pm	Welcome Address	Prof Nirja Mattoo, Chairperson, Centre for DOCC, SPJIMR
2.45 – 3.00pm	Overview of Plan (India) and HAAP	Ms Bhagyashri Dengle, Executive Director, Plan (India)
3.00- 3.30 pm	Experience sharing by children of HAAP team
3.30 – 4.30 pm	Panel Discussion on “Role of children in   Building Awareness and Changing the Mindset’’
4.30-4.50 pm	Launch of HAAP kit   Address by Chief Guest	Ms Bhagyashri Dengle, Executive Director, Plan (India)
4.50 –5.00pm	Vote of Thanks
5.00onwards	High Tea

Shaoli
<mcrmm@spjimr.ernet.in>