What is your experience with Truckers on HIV?

[Rituu B. Nanda]

The Constellation has embarked on an exciting initiative to connect Indian and Kenyan communities to share their local experiences on truckers through innovative techniques.This will be a pilot to explore and learn more on connecting local responses virtually through multiple modes- stories learned via exchange on aids competence network, SALT visits, video chat and e-discussion.

We began the process by formation of the India-Kenya group wherein some members shared their work with truckers (Fr Joe, Prabakar and Rafique). Onesmus uploaded videos on the experiences of Truckers and PLHIV in the GLIA competence process. You can find them on: https://aidscompetence.ning.com/video/truckers-hivaids-fear

As the next step, we will exchange stories of community response before the SALT visits happen, so that the teams go with some understanding of the topic. Therefore, we invite the members to share:

· Experiences in respect to Truck Drivers on HIV?

· What are you proud of in your experience with responses from truckers on HIV?

· What has been your motivation for action?

This will help understand better what is the HIV response vis-a-vis truckers in the two countries and will also help identify what the teams would like to learn from the response in the other country. The sharing and learning will stimulate the Communities and facilitators in India and Kenya to take action. The progress and stories will be documented and results would be shared with other countries and communities.

I am posting this as a blog to reach out to all members on the AIDS Competence Network. You can join the India-Kenya group on https://aidscompetence.ning.com/group/indiakenyalearningtogether Thanks.

[Ash Pachauri]

Dear Rituu,

Greetings!

I wanted to share a few resources which may strengthen our understanding and dialogue on truck driver and MSM activity.

1) One of the resources that you and I have been discussing is - Mr. Hollander's work on "Trucking against AIDS" in South Africa. He presents some startling statistics on this page (http://www.sabcoha.org/sabcoha-features/no-truck-with-aids-2.html) indicating that 45% of truck drivers in SA are HIV positive.

2) Our discussions with truck drivers have reflected very similar findings to that on page 11 of 24 here (http://www.mapnetwork.org/docs/MAP_&M%20Book_04July05_en.pdf). Truck drivers have also shared that increasing awarness about HIV and insistance on using condoms by FSW have resulted in more male to male sexual activity in the truck driver community.

3) Our informal discussions with truck drivers reinforce the findings of this study: http://www.popcouncil.org/pdfs/MSMIndiaResearchBrief.pdf

4) http://www.msmandhiv.org/documents/SA_home_nairobistar2.pdf

5) Some of the references on Page 2 may be useful: http://www.aidsmark.org/ipc_en/pdf/sm/hr/mwmp/HIV-AIDS%20Interventi...

6) It might be useful to get in touch with Bryan et al. (2000) cited on page 1: http://www.ijcm.org.in/temp/IndianJCommunityMed343206-2361614_06333...

7) This may be a valuable resource to gain an Africa/Asia perspective: http://htc.anu.edu.au/pdfs/resistances_ch8.pdf

8) It may be useful to contact groups (e.g., AMREF and even Solomon Ndonye, human resources manager at Multiple Hauliers) that have done this work: http://medilinkz.org/news/news2.asp?NewsID=16702

I hope this helps.

With many thanks again & warm regards,
Ash

[irangbui]

Hi! Rituu,
great to see you with every motivating words and encouragements in this ACP network. ur blocks and coments can really nurture people.