ID: HR19-1211

Presenting author: Min Wai Lwin

Presenting author biography:

Dr. Min Wai Lwin Deputy Project Manager, Project title,HIV prevention/ Harm reduction among PWIDs, Homalin Township Project funded by Global Fund to fight against AIDS, TB and Malaria. Under Save the Children Principal Recipient in Myanmar.

Desensitizing local static community using community based organizations

Min Wai Lwin, Ye Aung

Issue
Migrant gold-mining workers are highly vulnerable due to lack of proper socioeconomic systems within their mobile community. They have double vulnerability to HIV due to needle sharing among Mobile Migrant IDUs (MMIDU). On top of that, local static community have strong negative prejudice to drug users. Community-based anti-narcotic organizations (CBOs) frequently inhibited the harm reduction services. Needle Syringe Exchange activities and outreach HIV testing services were largely hindered.
Setting
Homalin in upper part of Myanmar is a remote wide geographic township but limited access to basic health care services. However, it is famous for its mining resources that attracts many migrant and mobile workers to come and work there, leading the area with increased social problems including drugs. Majority of the local and migrant use heroin as first choice of drug and injecting drug use is common rather than other types of narcotics.
Project
The major challenge is to reach the services to mobile and migrant population because lack of support from local community greatly impede health access of MMIDUs that causes HIV endemic concentrated in mining workers. To overcome community resistance, we organized series of advocacy/desensitizing activities about concept of harm reduction and human right issues to CBOs, village leaders, religious leaders and community health workers. Project used innovative ways like recruiting local staffs and ex-drug users for harm reduction awareness raising, evening talks at villages, peer networking and enhancing referral linkage to ART and Methadone.
Outcome
Through combined approach, resistance from community was diminished and collaboration was greatly improved. Harm reduction activities became easier. MMIDUs are more accessible to HIV prevention services. Our project increasingly reached the HIV services to 130, 497, 1395 and 1407 IDUs in 2014-2017 respectively. Desensitizing the local community through advocacy to CBOs and collaboration with community members have a huge program outcome.