Title

Youth friendly center for reaching the unreached people who inject drugs (PWIDs) in Churachandpur district of Manipur

Presenter

Ningombam Madan Singh

Authors

N.M. Singh¹, N.J. Singh¹, G. Shreenivas², A. Hegde³, P. Choudhury⁴, R. Singh¹, A. Mongjam⁵, S. Chawla⁶, U. Sharma⁶, S. Upadhyaya⁶, M. Nyendak⁶

Institutions

¹PATH, Imphal, India, ²PATH, New Delhi, India, ³PATH, Mumbai, India, ⁴PATH, Guwahati, India, ⁵Manipur State AIDS Control Society, Imphal, India, ⁶U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, DGHT, India Country Office, New Delhi, India

BACKGROUND: Churachandpur, Manipur has high incidence of injecting drug use among younger adolescent population. Compared to adults, they are less likely to attend the government-run Targeted Interventions due to age-of-consent and requirement to disclose attendance to parents/guardians. There is a need for focused youth-led interventions specific to the needs of this age group.
DESCRIPTION: Community consultation with 50 young PWIDs (18-22 years) resulted in establishment of a youth friendly center and service delivery model (figure). This center provides a space where young PWID can spend their time in a safe and welcoming environment. Youth counsellors are identified and trained on community mobilization, peer counselling, comprehensive package of services and reporting including privacy and confidentiality. Peer volunteers identified from the community are trained to promote harm reduction practices.

LESSONS LEARNED: From January to December 2022, 216 young PWID were registered. Of them, 91% (193/216) were new and never enrolled in an HIV program before; 69% (149/216) were tested for HIV and 44% (94/216) were tested for Hepatitis C, of those 3% (4/149) were found HIV positive and are on ART, 65% (61/94) were found Hepatitis C positive and linked to treatment; total 14% (31/216) were enrolled for Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT). Sessions to facilitate psychosocial support, mental health, skills training, and enabling family support system along with 454 counselling sessions were held with young adolescent PWIDs. The Center provides recreational activities and family group meetings on substance use disorder to support family members. All these activities resulted in linking these 216 unreached adolescents with HIV prevention and harm reduction services.
CONCLUSIONS: Community-led, youth-friendly services create an enabling environment to bring previously unreached younger adolescent PWID to HIV care services. The center received an excellence certificate by the Churachandpur District Administration for the lifesaving work. This model has potential to reach the unreached young PWID across India.

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