The Hindu Business Line : AIDS: Wockhardt initiative rustles up care-givers, students

From dispelling myths like whether mosquitoes spread HIV/AIDS to discussing legal issues surrounding a HIV-positive employee, it was an interactive session with a difference at the canteen of a Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) unit in Mumbai.

But the hour-long session was enough to catch the attention of the 20-somethings walking into the canteen, translating into about 60 of them filling out questionnaires on the issue, recounts Mr Karan Dube.

A student with St Xaviers College, Mr Dube is on the planning committee of Wharf Youth, the student body of Wockhardt Havard Medical International HIV/AIDS Education and Research Foundation or Wharf.

While Wharf sets out to train care-givers such as clinicians, nurses, paramedics and community health-workers, the student forum comprises students from several colleges in Mumbai. "People know about HIV, but they don't have a complete knowledge on its practical aspects," says Mr Dube, who works with others in the student-wing to train people at BPOs, corporates, colleges and slums.

Voices

Despite different programmes across the country on HIV/AIDS, there is still a gap in terms of capacity-building and training, especially among the technical staff, says Ms Rakhi Nair, Wharf's programme-coordinator.

Ms Priyanka Krishnan, Head of Wharf Youth, echoes similar sentiments. "People don't know the scope or the seriousness of the problem," says Ms Krishnan, a student with Arya Poddar College. About 50 students from nine colleges are part of the student wing, she says, adding that Wharf Youth is on the road to take the movement to more institutions.

But it was very different about four years ago, when Wockhardt wanted to undertake a programme, as part of its corporate social responsibility, says Ms Nafisa Khorakiwala, Trustee of Wharf. A research undertaken along with HMI revealed that there was a gap in scientific knowledge, she says. The first programme was formulated with HMI and the vision was to empower care-givers in the field with scientific knowledge, she said. Since 2002, over 1,100 care-givers have been trained, she adds.

The training is backed-up with feed-back sessions and advanced training. As the training gets strengthened in Mumbai and its vicinity, the programme will be taken to other parts in the State and would eventually look to give Wharf a national-footprint, Ms Khorakiwala said.

Ms Khorakiwala is wife of Mr Habil Khorakiwala, Chairman of pharmaceutical-company Wockhardt. But Wharf is a non-profit organisation, she clarified, with support from the pharma company.

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