. YOUNG WOMEN:DRUGS AND HIV/AIDS

IND/H14: Coordinated HIV/AIDS/STD Response through Capacity Building and Awareness – CHARCA Regional Office for South Asia Budget: US$ 699,300 funded by UNFIP (for the UNODC component) Duration: 2004-2006 (extension being prepared for $571,000 UK funding) Funding current phase: Counterparts: NACO, NGOs, CBOs, UN partner agencies CHARCA is a joint UN system project in partnership with the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) of . It aims to reduce the vulnerability of

Netherlands young women (aged 13-25 years) in the general population to the risk of HIV infection. It is being implemented in six localities in India. One of these is Funding planned next phase: in the state of . Mizoram’s geographical location makes it a conduit for drugs (heroin) entering from . Pharmaceutical drugs like spasmoproxyvon produced elsewhere in India are also illicitly consumed in the UK state. The drug issue has become a major public health problem in recent years and has added to the risk of spreading HIV.

CHARCA project & Kashmir districts MIZORAM (UN agency responsible) Udaipur Himachal Pradesh : Punjab Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh) (Rajasthan) Uttaranchal UNFPA Haryana UNDP

Rajasthan Uttar Pradesh Bihar ittagong Aizawl Ch Jharkhand West Mizoram Madhya Pradesh Bengal Gujarat Chhattisgarh

Orissa District Maharashtra Aizwal Andhra (Mizoram) Pradesh Kishinganj UNODC District Goa (Bihar) UNICEF Karnataka

Tamil Nadu Guntur (Andhra Pradesh) Bellary (Karnataka) UNICEF Kerala UNDP The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on this map do not imply official endorsement or Districts with CHARCA acceptance by the United Nations. operations ACTIVITIES AS OF DECEMBER 2005 Kolasib Aizawl Champhai Total · Number of Adolescent & Young trained 138 219 189 546 MIZORAM · Selection & placement of Peer Educators 46 73 63 182 Mizoram is one of the states · Existing drop-in-centers strengthened 3 7 3 13 having more than 5 percent HIV · No of NGOs 4 15 6 25 · No. Training of Key influencers viz; 3 7 3 13 prevalence in high-risk groups YMA, MHIP, Church conducted and a narrowing gender gap. The · No. Training for different Government 10 23 11 44 departments via; Doctors, Nurse, Health Mizoram society is in a state of transition, with workers, Anganwadi workers, School, a rapid increase in urbanisation. College, Media. · Training of existing women self help 2 2 2 6 Many young Mizos aspire to associate groups themselves with symbols of modernity and · No of Master Trainers. 4 13 3 20 progress. As a result, premarital sexual · Resource Mapping of existing services 1 1 1 3 available. relations among young boys and girls is not · Review of IEC materials on Drugs, 1 1 1 3 uncommon. In such intimate relationships, HIV/AIDS & Gender. young women’s lack of control over their · Survey on the prevailing myths & 1 1 1 3 sexuality, the inability of young people to misconceptions on Drugs HIV/AIDS, Gender. adopt safe sexual practices as well as the · School & College Quiz on Gender, Drugs 1 1 1 3 convergence of alcohol, drugs and sex are and HIV/AIDS/STI. responsible for increasing vulnerability. · Short plays on Drugs, HIV/AIDS and 3 9 3 15 Gender.