COMMUNITY CARE & SUPPORT CENTRES
Community Care Centres play a critical role in providing treatment, care and support to people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA).Under NACP-III these centres are attached to ART centres and ensure that PLHA are provided: (a) counselling for ARV drug adherence, nutrition and prevention (b) treatment of opportunistic infection (c) referral and outreach services for follow up and (d) social support services. Currently, 96 such centres are supported. It has targeted to set up 350 CCC under NACP- III
The centres are mandated to seek better community and family response towards PLHA through family counselling. For better treatment outcome, the centres provide families of PLHA counselling on the patients nutritional needs, treatment adherence and psychological support.
From being stand alone short stay home under NACP- III, CCC have metamorphosed to being a place for providing comprehensive services to PLHA. They play a critical role in enabling PLHA to access ART, as well as provide monitoring, follow- up counselling support to pre ART and ART patients, positive prevention, drug adherence, nutritional counselling etc.
With linkages and referrals to ICTC, DOTS, PPTCT, and LAC and other treatment services and interventions, CCC serves as a vital link in providing holistic support to PLHA with district hospitals and provides referral service to PLHA when needed.