Abstract :
Background: The migrant intervention in India was initiated during the National AIDS Control
Program (NACP) Phase-2 (2002-2007). Even by the end of NACP Phase-3 (2010-11); the coverage of
migrants remained very low. USAID PHFI-PIPPSE project in collaboration with the National AIDS
Control Organization worked on development of Migrant Service Delivery System (MSDS) to track
migrant’s movement and to enhance coverage of migrants across source-destination corridors. In
India, there are three important migration corridors; this abstract presents the experience of MSDS
across Thane-Uttar Pradesh (UP) Corridor.
Description: MSDS is a web-enabled system, designed and rolled out to track migrants’ movements
across corridors. Under MSDS, migrants at Thane (destination) were enrolled into the program and
were given unique IDs to track their service uptake across the source-destination corridor. All
registered migrants were classified by their service requirements and movement pattern. For
migrants visiting source districts in UP, pre-departure information was shared online (through
MSDS) from Thane with program implementers at source districts in UP for identifying geographies
of high out migration and deciding on the timing for conducting health camps during their stay in
native state.
Lessons learned: The 83 health camps organized in UP during 2015-16 indicated that footfalls of
migrants per camp was 132 where geography and timing for organizing camps was done through
MSDS compared to 82 per camp organized in non-MSDS sites. Moreover, with the strategic planning
of the health camps, yieldin MSDS sites in terms of HIV positivity was twice (1.1% in MSDS sites vs
0.5% in non MSDS sites).
Conclusions/Next steps: MSDS provided an innovative way of identifying the geographies (blocks and
villages) of high out migration. This helped in organizing health camps at prioritized locations leading
to increase in coverage and HIV testing yield.
Keyword :
Migrants movement, Migrant corridor, Health camp, Evidence-based planning