MG No. 66548 – HIV/AIDS Awareness and Education in Phangnga and Ranong

Project Description/Objectives:

  1. To raise awareness amongst communities living in the provinces of Phangnga and Ranong, in southern Thailand, of the impact of HIV/AIDS;
  2. To increase the knowledge of individuals, families and communities on what causes HIV/AIDS infections and how to prevent their contagion and spread;
  3. To increase participation of these individuals, families and communities in promoting the prevention of HIV/AIDS infections;
  4. To strengthen and empower the society to prevent and tackle AIDS related problems;
  5. To curtail the impact of HIV/AIDS on the economy and health of the target population.

Community Need:

Both provinces are near to Phuket and have high incidences of HIV/AIDS infections. Both were also heavily impacted by the tsunami of 2004, and both also have significant populations of Burmese immigrants/workers and indigenous “Sea Gypsy” people, both of whom often fall through the local education and healthcare safety nets.

The project aimed to highlight the problems and implications of HIV/AIDS, educate the communities about them, get prevention and education strategies included in local administration and community institution policies, and set up self-sustaining groups within local institutions and communities to undertake and continue the prevention and education work, as well as to facilitate the re-integration into the local community of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA).

Cost:

US$ 173,350 over 3 years.

Contributors:

The Rotary Foundation                                                    US$   58,950
Rotary International District 2080, Italy                     US$ 109,400
Rotary International District 2060, Italy – DDF        US$     3,500
Rotary Club of Bangkok South                                        US$     1,500 US$ 173,350

Results/Comments:

The project had defined targets of number of institutions, training sessions and people reached for various activities over its three-year course. Results at the end of year 3 were:

HIV/AIDS Prevention Program

Indicator Target 3 year Output 2009 Output 2010 Output 2011 Total
1. Activities to get strategies in local administrations and institutions (places) 70 77 38

31 places from 2009. 7 new places.

 45

Old places from 2009-10.

 160 times

84 places in all ex repeats.
2. Training group leaders on HIV/AIDS prevention (sessions) 116 45 49 74 168
Target group (people) 3,500 1,840 2,177 1,721 5,738
* Fishery workers (people) #

* Student (people)

* Villager (people)

# Thai and Burmese

 1,000

1,500

1,000

 304

915

582

319

624

1,273

 246

893

582

 869

2,432

2,437

3. Follow up / support to action plan (sessions) 150 26 44 97 167
* Peer educators(people)

* Support action plan/activity on AIDS (sessions)

 10% of peer Educators 141

77

 521

38 – 31 places from 2009. 7 new places.

 520

31 – Old places from 2009-10.

 1,182

146 sessions

84 places

4. Activity on World AIDS Day 3 sessions per year 500 people per year 4 sub-sessions

994 people

 4 sub-sessions

830 people

 4 sub-sessions

1,004 people

 12 sub-sessions

2,828 people

Strengthening People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) Program

Indicator Target 3 year Output 2009 Output 2010 Output 2011 Total
1. Activity to coordinate with 9 hospitals (hospital) 9 9 9 9 9
2. Training on Opportunistic Infections and Anti-Retroviral treatments 12 sessions

200 PLWHA

 4 sessions

94 PLWHA

 6 sessions

102 PLWHA

 10 sessions

309 PLWHA

 20 sessions

505 PLWHA
3. Training on HIV/AIDS communication 12 sessions200 PLWHA 5 sessions

163 PLWHA

 3 sessions

45 PLWHA

 9 sessions

274 PLWHA

 17 sessions

482 PLWHA
4. Providing supportive activity to PLWHA group 174 sessions

9 groups

 37 sessions

9 groups

 65 sessions

9 groups

 108 sessions

9 groups

 210 sessions

9 groups
5. Providing welfare to PLWHA mother and children for medical services (cases) 144 47 66 32 145 (+family members got welfare)
6. Follow up with HIV/AIDS children and their mothers (cases) 144 93 139 83 times, 113 persons

(9 Fathers, 18 Females, 1 Man, 42 Mothers, 43 Children)

 315 times (home visits)

118 cases got donations

A Rotary International Site Monitor, Past District Governor Dr Rajiv Pradhan, inspected this project in February 2011 and he commented:

“You at Rotary Bangkok South are doing very good work with this project and I appreciate that very much.”

Past President Andrew MacPherson attended a 3 year project evaluation session in Phangnga in December 2011. Local government officers were briefed on the benefits achieved, and had the chance to interact with people who have participated in the project and to discuss the benefits in detail. Past President Andrew commented:

“The general consensus was what a great success the program had been and I was personally very impressed with the amount of enthusiasm that was displayed by those that had worked on it. Very dedicated people and surely an asset to their respective communities where they work and reside.”