1097 has become a number most Delhiites want to dial. With over one lakhcallers each month, the AIDS helpline started by the National AIDS ControlOrganisation (NACO), has become a popular AIDS counselling tool. So much sothat many other cities are taking the cue and starting their local helplines.The number, 1097, has been reserved throughout the country for this purposeand state governments and cities like Calcutta, Chandiagrah and Mumbai willhave their own helplines. ``About nine to 10 other cities in Maharashtra andAndhra Pradesh will soon activate this 1097 service,'' says Neelam Kapoor,joint director, NACO.The counselling service in Delhi has been computerised and counsellors replywithin 72 hours. Some of the standard answers are available online butfurther clarifications and personalised counselling are also available. Thecomputerised service was introduced to cut off obscene callers. ``Initially,when the service started three years ago, the number of obscene callers wasvery high. We had male counsellors answering all calls to check this menace,but with the computerised service, these calls have reduced,'' says Kapoor.In Delhi, NACO has one counselling centre at Safdarjung Hospital and anotheris being planned at the National Institute of Communicable Diseases, whichhas a HIV testing centre. But in the smaller towns and cities, familiaritywith computers and an `unfriendly' voice may be low, so the computerisedservice will not be introduced there. The helpline in Delhi is being handledby an NGO, and NACO is asking the state governments to do the same. ``Thegovernment is not geared to do counselling with patience. NGOs are moreadept at handling this,'' Kapoor says.
Initially, many of the callers make blank calls. ``They are hesitant to talkabout the subject and put the phone down without waiting for an answer.However, after two to three calls, they slowly gain enough confidence toapproach the issue,'' says Kapoor. Many of the callers are the``worried-well'', who don't have HIV infection but are worried that they mayget the infection. ``Such callers just need to be reassured that as long asthey have safe sex and do not have multiple partners, HIV will not affectthem,'' says Kapoor.
Some of the counsellors at these centres are HIV positive personsthemselves. ``This has a great therapeutic effect on others who fear theyare HIV positive,'' says Kapoor.
But the helpline is not for HIV counselling only, it also answers questionsabout sexual problems and STDs. ``Without really promoting promiscuity, wetry and answer all question related to sex,'' says Kapoor. ``The idea is topromote a safer lifestyle and be more responsible,'' she says.
With UN estimates putting the rate of HIV infection in India at 3.5 million,NACO is hoping this helpline will become a prime force in preventing thespread of HIV infection.
Copyright © 2000 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.