Maximizing resources to meet client needs: evaluation of a comprehensive HIV/AIDS care and support model in India

This report, from the Horizons Project, provides findings from an assessment of the YRG CARE (Y.R. Gaitonde Centre for AIDS Research and Education) model in Southern India. The YRG CARE model offers a number of services to people living with HIV and AIDS (PLHA), including: individual, couple, and family counselling, voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) for HIV, medical and dental services, nutrition education, and referrals for surgery and invasive procedures. The study estimates the economic impact of HIV and AIDS on clients and households receiving care and treatment, and examines the economic sustainability of the YRG CARE model. The study also considers potential for scaling up the services and for revenue generation.

The study found that the perceived quality of life of clients improved over time, even without antiretroviral treatment. Moreover, increasing numbers of HIV-positive clients disclosed their status despite fears of stigma and discrimination. The study also found that the costs of HIV and AIDS, which impose a high financial burden at the household level, decreased over the study period. Finally, the author emphasises that to be sustainable, the YRG CARE model and other similar programmes cannot rely on user fees as their sole source of revenue. [adapted from authors]