OBJECTIVES: To describe the concepts, strategies and field results of a project to scale up prevention programmes and services for female sex workers (FSWs) in Karnataka, India. METHODS: A strategy was developed to scale up urban sex worker interventions in 18 districts in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. Macro-level coverage objectives were defined by mapping the urban locations where FSWs operate and estimating their population size. Prevention programmes were initiated in the urban locations that contained at least 90% of the estimated urban FSW population in each district. Within each location, a micro-planning process was used by FSW peer educators and outreach workers to design local outreach and service delivery plans. RESULTS: An estimated 48 973 FSWs were distributed across 1551 locations and 6232 spots. Outreach was conducted by 1043 peer educators. Services were provided through 170 drop-in centres, 93 programme-run clinics, 110 outreach clinics and 157 referral clinics. Within the first 3 years of the programme the cumulative number of individual FSWs contacted at least once was >78 000, with monthly contact established with 81% of the in situ population; >45 000 FSWs had visited a clinic and >10 000 visited monthly. Direct and indirect condom distribution by the programme amounted to more than 30 per contacted FSW, which is estimated to meet the condom requirement. CONCLUSIONS: A strategy that involves geographically defined coverage and micro-level outreach planning can rapidly and effectively provide outreach and services to large dispersed FSW populations.
OBJECTIVES: To describe the concepts, strategies and field results of a project to scale up prevention programmes and services for female sex workers (FSWs) in Karnataka, India. METHODS: A strategy was developed to scale up urban sex worker interventions in 18 districts in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. Macro-level coverage objectives were defined by mapping the urban locations where FSWs operate and estimating their population size. Prevention programmes were initiated in the urban locations that contained at least 90% of the estimated urban FSW population in each district. Within each location, a micro-planning process was used by FSW peer educators and outreach workers to design local outreach and service delivery plans. RESULTS: An estimated 48 973 FSWs were distributed across 1551 locations and 6232 spots. Outreach was conducted by 1043 peer educators. Services were provided through 170 drop-in centres, 93 programme-run clinics, 110 outreach clinics and 157 referral clinics. Within the first 3 years of the programme the cumulative number of individual FSWs contacted at least once was >78 000, with monthly contact established with 81% of the in situ population; >45 000 FSWs had visited a clinic and >10 000 visited monthly. Direct and indirect condom distribution by the programme amounted to more than 30 per contacted FSW, which is estimated to meet the condom requirement. CONCLUSIONS: A strategy that involves geographically defined coverage and micro-level outreach planning can rapidly and effectively provide outreach and services to large dispersed FSW populations.
Authors: Souradet Y Shaw; Kathleen N Deering; Sushena Reza-Paul; Shajy Isac; Banadakoppa M Ramesh; Reynold Washington; Stephen Moses; James F Blanchard Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2011-12-29 Impact factor: 3.295
Authors: Vandana Gurnani; Tara S Beattie; Parinita Bhattacharjee; H L Mohan; Srinath Maddur; Reynold Washington; Shajy Isac; B M Ramesh; Stephen Moses; James F Blanchard Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2011-10-02 Impact factor: 3.295
Authors: Kathleen N Deering; Marie-Claude Boily; Catherine M Lowndes; Jean Shoveller; Mark W Tyndall; Peter Vickerman; Jan Bradley; Kaveri Gurav; Michael Pickles; Stephen Moses; Banadakoppa M Ramesh; Reynold Washington; S Rajaram; Michel Alary Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2011-12-29 Impact factor: 3.295
Authors: Janet Bradley; Stephen Moses; James F Blanchard; S Rajaram; B M Ramesh; Supriya Verma; Michel Alary Journal: Sex Transm Infect Date: 2010-02 Impact factor: 3.519
Authors: Sudha Chandrashekar; Anna Vassall; Bhaskar Reddy; Govindraj Shetty; Peter Vickerman; Michel Alary Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2011-12-29 Impact factor: 3.295
Authors: Sema K Sgaier; Mariam Claeson; Charles Gilks; Banadakoppa M Ramesh; Peter D Ghys; Alkesh Wadhwani; Aparajita Ramakrishnan; Annie Tangri; Chandramouli K Journal: Sex Transm Infect Date: 2012-04-17 Impact factor: 3.519