Project AHANA is Plan India’s national programme working towards an AIDS-free generation in partnership with the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) and supported by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM).

Parent to child transmission is a major route of HIV infection among children. To turn the tide, the Government of India has committed to providing access to Prevention of Parent to Child Transmission (PPTCT) services to all pregnant women through the National AIDS Control Programme Phase-IV (2012-2017). Project AHANA focuses on increasing PPTCT service uptake among women in most marginalised communities in India at the public health facilities. In partnership with the national programme, project AHANA works in nine states: Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Assam, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. It covers 218 districts where HIV testing in the same cohort ranges from 12-43%.

The study commissioned by Plan India aimed at reviewing the AHANA Project strategy in each state where the program was being implemented. The study objective encompassed: a) review and assessment of different approaches adopted as per the prevailing situation in respective states and state health societies’ requirement, b) assessment of project strategy at the state level to comment on the performance against target and c) reviewing the project strategy to comment on improvements in access of PPTCT services among pregnant women.

BRIEF undertook a qualitative research covering all stakeholders of the program village, block, district and state levels, which included health officials from relevant departments(responsible for implementation of the scheme), periphery health workers and pregnant women (beneficiaries) among others across the 9 states. The research plan and methodology was developed by BRIEF along with specific research tools – IDI guidelines, FGD guidelines and questionnaires – for holding discussions with the stakeholders. Post analysis of primary data and mapping it with secondary data, state-wise reports as well as a comprehensive report on the effectiveness on the national program strategy was drafted.