Aghaz-e-Nau

AeN is working in collaboration with Legal Aid Center to provide training to Female Para legal Workers on drug abuse and HIV Prevention since 1994. AeN provides training to 40 Female Para legal Workers every year from 40 slums of Lahore. After completing training sessions these Female Para legal Workers conduct seminars in slums of Lahore under direct supervision of AeN. It is estimated that there are 8,000 Drug Users and approximately 1 200 female drug users with a very low number of injecting drug users. Females in these areas are using heroin, hash and local alcohol. Awareness of HIV transmission is increasing in these areas still many females are into high risk behavior including selling sex. It is estimated that approximately 50 per cent of Female Drug Users sell sex to earn their bread and butter and they are unable to negotiate safe sex. Almost each female is having 4-5 sex partners thus putting themselves at high risk of HIV/AIDS and other blood borne diseases. There is

AeN is providing following services to street-based Injecting Drug Users to enable them to improve their knowledge, change behavior, develop skills and improve health: Harm reduction services, including needle exchange Information on proper use and dispose off used syringes   Implementation of appropriate behavior change interventions Provision of condoms and information on proper use and disposal Primary healthcare including wound dressing, abscess drainage and syndromic management of STIs using national guidelines Education on sexual and reproductive health and STIs, and access to acceptable and appropriate services for STIs Access to Voluntary Confidential Counseling and Testing (VCCT) services for Street-based IDUs and their regular sexual partners  “Care and Support” program Promoting an enabling environment in the project area Residential detoxification and substitution therapy on a pilot basis

AeN is working in slums of Lahore and has a network of 40 peer educators. They conduct seminars to create awareness on Drug use and HIV prevention. As a result AeN gets referrals from these areas. AeN is providing treatment and HIV prevention services to female Drug Users/Injecting Drug Users. Still there is a gap that needs to be filled by enhancing quality services for female drug users/injecting drug users and providing following services:   Implementation of appropriate behavior change interventions Provision of condoms and information on proper use and disposal Primary healthcare including wound dressing, abscess drainage and syndromic management of STIs using national guidelines Education on sexual and reproductive health and STIs, and access to acceptable and appropriate services for STIs Access to Voluntary Confidential Counseling and Testing (VCCT) services for Street-based IDUs and their regular sexual partners  “Care and Su

AeN worked to provide treatment services to female with drug abuse problem from 2006-2009 and the project was funded by UNODC. AeN established two Drop-In Centers in Kachi Basti and Red Light Area, Lahore. The project was implemented with the following objectives: To provide drug addiction treatment and rehabilitation services to females with drug abuse problem To Provide primary health care services and treatment of STIs to females with drug abuse problem To provide HIV/AIDS awareness and education to females with drug abuse problem Implementation of behavior modification tools for assertiveness training, communication skills, role modeling, role rehearsal and negotiation skills for behavioral change and safer sex To develop linkages with existing VCCT facilities for HIV testing http://www.unodc.org/documents/evaluation/ProEvals-2008/PAKI35%20-FINAL.pdf

AeN worked to provide treatment services to female with drug abuse problem from 2006-2009 and the project was funded by UNODC. AeN established two Drop-In Centers in Kachi Basti and Red Light Area, Lahore. The project was implemented with the following objectives: To provide drug addiction treatment and rehabilitation services to females with drug abuse problem To Provide primary health care services and treatment of STIs to females with drug abuse problem To provide HIV/AIDS awareness and education to females with drug abuse problem Implementation of behavior modification tools for assertiveness training, communication skills, role modeling, role rehearsal and negotiation skills for behavioral change and safer sex To develop linkages with existing VCCT facilities for HIV testing