Avert Society has procured 5 vans or Mobile Healthcare Units (MHUs) to further its service delivery endeavor in the state of Maharashtra. The MHUs were inaugurated in Aurangabad on 17th August 2010, by Shri Kunal Kumar, District Collector at a ceremony which was also attended by Shri Shirsath, Member of the Legislative Assembly.
The MHUs will be rolled out in Thane, Aurangabad, Jalna, Solapur and Nagpur.
They will be operated by Avert sub-grantee’s in the respective districts. The Aurangabad MHU will be operated by the Babasaheb Ambedkar Vaidyakiya Pratishtan (BAVP).
Under NACP III, the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) already provides free HIV testing & counseling and ART treatment to PLHIVs. USAID-funded Avert Society’s MHUs will further facilitate this endeavor.
In Maharashtra, the Avert Society implements targeted intervention projects with Female Sex Workers, Men having Sex with Men, Migrants workers, Truck drivers, Intravenous Drug Users, People Living with HIV and infected and affected Orphans & Vulnerable Children, since the HIV prevalence levels are typically higher among these sections, than in the general population.
The recently launched Mobile Healthcare Units (MHUs) will be an important public health tool, enabling integrated services to be provided under one roof at the ICTCs; specially STI screening and treatment & referral services.
The MHUs have a number of advantages that enable Avert become more effective in its service delivery:
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Confidential off site outreach services, can now be tailored to meet the needs of individual communities.
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Reaching those not particularly inclined to visit a static clinic is now easier; especially people unable to access mainstream health services because public transport is expensive and time-consuming. This includes daily wage earners unwilling to forgo a loss of income, due to time spent in clinic visits.
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Hard-to-reach spots and wider areas are now brought under Avert’s service covering.
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The cost and inconvenience of travel to centers for HIV counseling and testing is now eliminated.
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Most importantly the MHU will serve as an entry point to HIV, and assist in early diagnosis and linkage to care and support.