61% drop in number of calls on HIV helpline in past four years

The number of calls recorded at Saadhan, the city’s free helpline for those infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), has dropped by 61% in the past four

The number of calls recorded at Saadhan, the city’s free helpline for those infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), has dropped by 61% in the past four years.

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Saadhan was started in 2012. Run by Mumbai Districts Aids Control Society (MDACS), the helpline has received steadily lower numbers of calls over the past four years. In 2015, the helpline had three counsellors. It now has one.

The number of calls has gone down from 6,772 calls in 2015 to 5,487 in 2016; 2,809 in 2017; and 2,602 in 2018.

Dr Srikala Acharya, assistant project director, MDACS, said the helpline number is not actively promoted.

“The National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) has its own national helpline number that works round-the-clock so they have decreased funding, considering Saadhan is a regional helpline number. As there is no proper promotion, the number of calls has decreased,” said Dr Acharya.

The helpline 022-2411-4000 was started in 2012.

It received ₹16 lakh in 2015 from NACO and in 2018, funding declined to ₹4 lakh.

Activist Ganesh Acharya, who has been living with HIV for 21 years, said, “There is need for a regional helpline number, especially for a city like Mumbai with 12 million people. Callers always feel more comfortable talking on a regional rather than national helpline.”

According to the data provided by MDACS, 70% of the calls recorded by the helpline number are by people in the age group of 15-40 years.

Among the recorded calls, almost 60% are related to unprotected sex.

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