JOIN USThe money, pooled into a ‘global fund’ was usually released to National Aids Control Organisation (NACO) from where it was routed to different states. Non-governmental organisations working in the field are already feeling the pinch with the slowdown in the contributions. A few outreach programmes have come to an abrupt halt.
The State government will now take the responsibility of funding the programmes. The government has allotted around Rs 70 crore for various HIV projects in the State.
“Foreign funds helped us in formulating several programmes for the benefit of HIV positive patients. But the government is not keen on continuing outreach programmes. Several workers involved in these projects will be jobless,” said Saroja Putran, president of Karnataka Network of People Living with HIV (KNP+).
The ‘Avahan’ project of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will come to an end in 2012. William J Clinton Foundation, which mainly worked with children affected and infected with HIV, wound up its project in 2010. ‘Samastha,’ a programme of the USAID for the care and support of HIV patients concluded in November this year. Karnataka State AIDS Prevention Society will launch a tele-counselling helpline 1800-425-8500 on December 1. The bilingual helpline will have counsellors working from 8 am to 8 pm from Monday to Saturday.