Dantan Manav Kalyan Kendra (DMKK), in collaboration with the West Bengal State AIDS Prevention and Control Society (WBSAP&CS), has been actively working among Injecting Drug Users (IDUs) in the Kolkata district.
Aim of the Project:
- To mainstream IDUs (Injecting Drug User) communities in the normal course of life.
- To target high-risk populations, mainly IDUs and their partners, for HIV and Syphilis screening tests.
- To ensure that IDUs who test positive in confirmatory tests receive ART medication to suppress their viral load.
DMKK provides qualitative counselling to reduce high-risk behaviours and promote safe sex practices. The project includes distributing essential commodities such as needles, syringes, and condoms among IDUs. Additionally, DMKK links PLHIV (People Living with HIV) IDUs and their partners to ART centers and government social security schemes. Quarterly general medical check-ups are provided for IDUs through various services, including Strengthening Outreach Activity (SOA) and health camps.
Currently, DMKK is operational in five hotspots under the Kolkata Municipal Corporation: Khidirpur, Jora Bagan, Maniktala, Sealdah, and Beltala RTO. Since January 2023, DMKK has reached 183 IDUs up to March 2024.