The HIV epidemic in India Continues to be Heterogenic, especially in term of its geographical spread.
As per the Technical Brief of HIV Sentinel (HSS) 2012-13,the declining trend among ANC clients, considered as a proxy for general population, is consistent with India's story of large scale implementation and high coverage during Third Phase of National AIDS Control Programme.
The Scheme envisages to "Reach out to High Risk Groups(HRGs) and other at risk population in rural areas with information,
knowledge, skill on STI/HIV prevention and risk reduction".
The HIV response in rural areas requires a localized approach as it is influenced by the unique socio-culture structure present in these areas.
For example, ensuring access to healthcare for PLHIVs and detecting and treating HIV infections become a greater challenge in rural areas because of differing perceptions surrounding issues of
sex and sexuality, drug use, and HIV, as well as stigma
and discrimination towards the PLHIVs.
Link Worker Scheme aims to meet these challenges by reaching out to rural communities and to saturate their coverage. The scheme is designed to build the
competencies of rural communities to take the onus of responding to the epidemic in an informed and responsible manner.
GUP has been conferred with the responsibility of implementing this scheme in identified Gram Panchayets under the __16__ blocks of Murshidabad district in West Bengal from 2016-17.