Wills Fairbank Pierce Memorial Hospital at Wai (W.F.P.M.)
Satara District of Maharashtra, India

The Wills Fairbank Pierce Memorial Hospital at Wai (WFPM Hospital) of the Satara District in India has a long history of service to the people of rural India. Since its inception in 1913, it has been carrying on excellent curative and prophylactic work in the Wai area. It forms part of the health ministries of the Church of North India (CNI), an important Global Ministries partner church.

The core principles of the WFPM Hospital include an effort to manifest the love of God for humanity through the care of the whole patient in his or her physical, mental, and spiritual needs, and to make curative and preventative medical facilities available to the public irrespective of race, caste, or creed. Today, the 150-bed hospital includes departments in the major areas of curative, surgical and preventive medicine.

HIV/AIDS in India

Similar to many countries in Asia and Africa, India is facing the alarming growth rate of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. UNAIDS and the World Health Organization have estimated that the number of people living with HIV/AIDS globally around the world was around 46 million by the end of 2003. The India scenario has not escaped these numbers. The HIV/AIDS epidemic in India is nearly 19 years old with the first case detected in Chennai in 1986. According to the National AIDS Control Organization, in 2004, the HIV+ population in India had reached over five million, and India is characterized as one of the five most HIV/AIDS affected countries in Asia.

HIV/AIDS in Maharashtra

Maharashtra is one of the hard-hit States in India as far as HIV/AIDS is concerned. The first patient was infected in Mumbai in 1986. Until 2003, 21 percent of the country’s reported cases of AIDS were in Maharashtra. The epidemic began with the high-risk group, including commercial sex workers and their clients, but has now spread into the general population.

The Project Area

The project area for WFPM’s work to address HIV/AIDS is the Satara District, where the threat of HIV/AIDS is spreading very quickly. This zone is very rural and covers a large area. The major source of local employment is agriculture. However, due to inadequate rainfall, migration is very common. In addition, many villages have sent a majority of the men to the army; therefore, the families are managed by women. This instability of the population, added to dynamics of India’s sex industry, tourism and severe poverty combine to place the region at high risk for HIV infection.

The Project

In view of all of the above information, WFPM Hospital has decided to accept the challenge of HIV/AIDS work and has established a program that will provide outreach on a wider scale and an expanded approach pertaining to HIV/AIDS and the community. Research of the population will be conducted and examined including prevention of HIV transmission as it relates to the following areas:

The local STD situation within the community.
Sexual behavior patterns among adults.
The local situation relating to drug use.
The volume and flows of migrant workers into the area.
The existence of military camps in the area.
The major transport routes in the area.
The flow of tourists.
The knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and practices relating to HIV/AIDS among high-risk groups and the community at large.

Project Activities

The project will be large in scope with a variety of activities taking place in schools, colleges, corporate sectors, hospitals, and other vulnerable areas, with the goal to reach all segments of the population. A comprehensive and holistic approach will be implemented. HIV/AIDS is not only a health problem, but also a problem of society and its moral, social, and religious values. Therefore, the program will be carried out through awareness, advocacy, counseling, testing, care, and support while keeping family values and norms in mind. Activities related to the project include:

Awareness programs
Pre/Post HIV Test Counseling
Care and support programs
Empowerment of women
Advocacy program and networking
Hospice Care Center
Mobile Clinic

The program is initially planned for a three-year period and will be extended upon evaluation and adjustment.