NEW DELHI : The National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) will encourage public-private partnership under the third phase of the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP), expected to be launched in April.

A national steering committee comprising the Confederation of Indian Industry, the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India, the National Association of Software and Service Companies, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the International Labour Organisation and USAIDS will be set up to identify mechanisms for strengthening linkages between the private and government sectors.

It is estimated that over 80 per cent of the people use the private sector for outpatient care and more than 50 per cent for inpatient care. NACP-III will leverage the strengths of the private sector and encourage it to offer prevention and treatment services as part of employee welfare programmes. It will provide linkages to government services, including capacity building, support and outreach services, and facilitate investment in HIV prevention and treatment as part of corporate social responsibility.

Consultative groups

State consultative groups will map potential thematic and geographical areas for private sector participation. These could include activities to support vulnerable and infected populations, mobile counselling and testing centres and behaviour change communication through outreach or activities such as provision of smart cards or vocational classes for children of sex workers. This effort will be funded from the technical support budget for hiring consultants.

As the activities will be financed by private agencies, no separate budget is earmarked for the purpose.

It is estimated that more than three-fourths of the sexually transmitted infection (STI) cases go to the private sector.

Therefore, cooption of private providers to ensure universal access to STI services will be an important policy initiative.

The mapping exercise will include identification of providers most frequented for STD care. An estimated 15 million STD episodes will be treated in the private sector.

The Government will seek to collaborate with private providers for treating an additional seven million cases to cover persons from the high-risk groups and also those below the poverty level.

Mobile services

Private sector facilities will be identified for expanding access to Integrated Counselling and Testing Centre (ICTCs) facilities as a routine service.

As distance is a barrier to access, it is proposed to provide mobile services, for making a package available on pre-determined dates.

Mobile services are envisaged to provide IEC (information, education and communication) on condoms, testing and counselling, treatment for minor ailments and preventive antenatal care. Schemes will be formulated under which the private sector will provide vehicles and manpower and the Government, drugs and consumables. Almost 1,000 ICTCs will be needed for this purpose.

NACP-III estimates that there are at least 75,000-1,00,000 People Living with HIV/AIDS who will seek private care, either by choice or as employees of private organisations where they are entitled to medical benefits.

126 more ART centres needed

Based on these assumptions, an additional 126 Anti Retroviral Treatment centres may have to be set up across the country.

These will focus on providing access to treatment to an estimated seven million workforce directly and a threefold number of contract labourers under the workplace intervention policy.

NACO will provide training and based on feasibility consider supplying drugs at government rates which are cheaper.

Where government infrastructure is not functioning well, private hospitals will be contracted for providing the services.

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