Under Avahan Phase I (2004 to 2008), Project ORCHID was established in the two most HIV high prevalent districts of India, Manipur and Nagaland. Emmanuel Health Association (EHA) the State Lead Partner for this program has made considerable progress in establishing a model for HIV prevention at scale for interventions among IDUs, FSWs, and MSMs. The program aims at risk and vulnerability reduction through distribution of clean needle syringes, condoms, STI treatment and creation of an enabling environment for these high risk groups (HRG). Capacity building of NGOs together with community members and community groups has resulted in increased coverage both in scale, scope and quality in the last four years. In 2006, through funding from the Department for International Development (DFID), Opioid (oral) Substitution Therapy (OST) was added to the existing program sites. This resulted in establishment of an unprecedented dimension to strengthen the community mobilization process among IDUs. The project ORCHID is fast becoming the ‘model’ for IDU targeted interventions and is set to have significant impact on the overall quality of HIV prevention among IDUs and their sexual partners in India and elsewhere in the world. The interventions among FSWs and MSMs are bringing to focus the equal need for interventions to scale among them as for too long the focus has been largely on the IDU related HIV epidemic.

In Avahan II, the Project will ensure consolidation of program gains and will facilitate capacity building of NGOs and CBOs across the two states in order to mature a sustainable and transferable model of HIV prevention for the targeted communities. The process of community mobilization will be further developed to achieve exponential growth so that community members are increasingly involved in program delivery, program monitoring, program development and ownership. Collaboration with State AIDS Control Societies (SACS) of the two states, National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) Regional office for the North East and other stakeholders will be enhanced through joint reviews of programs and co-trainings of program staff to harmonize program elements and costs. To ensure smooth transition and transfer, the State Coordination Committee (SCC) will set up a Transition Coordination Committee in each state comprising of SACS and Project staff along with key stakeholders to prepare the transition plan. Project ORCHID will continue to generate models of good practice that will inform epidemic response in India as well as elsewhere in Asia.