Prayas Health Service

Name: Prayas Health Service

State: Delhi

Areas covered: Kirti Nagar

Working with: Slum communities

Issues covered: There are an estimated 2 to 5 million people infected with HIV in India today, and 50,000 to 100,000 cases of AIDS may have already occurred in the country. Contrary to traditional belief, sexually transmitted diseases and sex with multiple partners are common in the country, both in urban and rural areas. An estimated 3 to 4 percent of some rural populations have a sexually transmitted disease. The tobacco epidemic is an international problem with developing countries set to bear the brunt of the problem in future. By 2030, if present trends continue unchecked, there will be 10 million deaths per year globally due to tobacco-related disease, with 70 per cent of these deaths taking place in developing countries. Not only this addiction of alcohol among children is increasing in India. Alcohol transnationals are shifting their focus to Asia and other developing countries (young population and a growing economy) as the American and European markets are saturated. With an increase in per capita incomes, trade barriers falling, and alcoholic beverages advancing into new markets in developing countries, alcohol consumption is likely to increase.

Objective: To focus largely on the health needs of children including adolescent boys and girls. The primary focus on the spread of awareness about HIV/AIDS among street/ slum adolescent children due to their greater vulnerability and also on the treatment of STDs besides regularly providing ‘primary health care services’ to all the children from the targeted areas. In addition PHS also started working for the de-addiction of tobacco and alcohol..

About the project in brief: With its inception in 1995, the PHS focus at providing significant service on the health needs of the children belonging to the un-served and under served areas at various slum communities in Delhi especially where Prayas Projects are located. The projects provide awareness to the children about the HIV/ AIDS and the STDs. But with time PHS broadened its horizons and extended its services from children to their mothers. That is to say, it started serving both women and children. The focus was now primarily on the reproductive health of women apart from spreading awareness about HIV/ AIDS.In Addition to this, PHS also started working for the de-addiction of tobacco and alcohol. This WHO aided project on anti- tobacco aimed at reducing the incidence and prevalence of addiction among the street/ slum children by spreading awareness about the life threatening effects of such harmful addictive behavioral patterns. PHS provides following services- General health (OPD), Health Camps, Laboratory services, Directly Observed Treatment with Short course chemotherapy (DOTs) to check tuberculosis in India, Pulse polio campaign and primary health care to women and children. PHS has regularly been participating in Family Health awareness Campaigns organized by the NCT of Delhi, Pulse Polio Campaigns, health stalls of India International Trade fair focusing on RCH components, MTNL Perfect Health Melas and Perfect Health Trdaes. The PCH has also been a regular participant in Blood Donation Campaigns organized by Delhi State AIDS Control Society (DSACS).