Koen K. A. Van Rompay|Purnima Madhivanan|Mirriam Rafiq|Karl Krupp|Venkatesan Chakrapani|Durai Selvam
Empowering the people: Development of an HIV peer education model for low literacy rural communities in India
University of California, Berkeley
despite ample evidence hiv entered general population hiv awareness programs india continue neglect rural areas low hiv awareness high stigma fueled low literacy seasonal migration gender inequity spatial dispersion cultural taboos pose extra challenges implement muchneeded hiv education programs rural areas paper describes peer education model developed educate empower lowliteracy communities rural district perambalur tamil nadu indiafrom january december 2005 six nongovernmental organizations ngos good community rapport collaborated build pilottest hiv peer education model rural communities program used participatory methods train 20 ngo field staff outreach workers 102 womens selfhelp group shg leaders 52 barbers become peer educators cartoonbased educational materials developed lowliteracy populations convey simple comprehensive messages hiv transmission prevention support care addition street theatre cultural programs highlighted issues related hiv stigma communitythe program estimated reached 30000 villagers district 2051 interactive hiv awareness programs oneonone communication outreach workers ows peer educators distributed approximately 62000 educational materials 69000 condoms also referred approximately 2844 people services including voluntary counselling testing vct care support hiv diagnosis treatment sexuallytransmitted infections sti least 118 individuals newly diagnosed persons living hiv plhiv 129 plhiv referred government hospital thoracic medicine tambaram extra medical support focus group discussions indicate program well received communities led improved health awareness also provided peer educators increased social statususing established networks communitybased organizations already working empowerment women training womens shg leaders barbers peer educators effective culturally appropriate way disseminate comprehensive information hivaids lowliteracy communities similar models reaching empowering vulnerable populations expanded rural areas