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Sexual
Health
Psychological
Treatment
HIV/AIDs
Mobile
Dispensary
Since
its inception, Azad Foundation was working on the idea of running
a mobile dispensary so that on the spot medical assistance could
be provided and a track could be maintained of such convalescents.
This project finally kicked off on the 7th of April 2003 and is
successfully running since. Dispensary includes a qualified doctor
for OPD and a medical technician.  The mobile is fully equipped with
blood testing and diagnostic facilities. Various pharmaceutical
companies and dealers donate medicines for the treatment, thus 98%
of the supplies are available for OPD. Counseling services on psychological
and sexual health are also available.
Launch of the mobile dispensary was a great feat as it was the first
ever of its kind in the history of Pakistan for street children.
A medical transcriptions goes with the mobile and remains in the
field for the whole day so that records could be maintained properly.
To execute the health agenda of the foundation, the board of directors
have marked some areas where the mobile people park their vehicle.
Locations are permanent so children come by themselves after being
taken there once.
These
areas are near the busy commercial centers where these children
hover around the whole day to find work. This technique was found
effective and worthy of practice.
This pragmatic approach helped the foundation in collecting data and then analyzing it for the benefit of street children. The children, on the other hand, became  aware of the diseases they were infected with and about the would-be happenings pertaining to their health as being part of the battered environment.
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SEXUAL
HEALTH
As
these children are exposed and not capable of guarding themselves,
their vulnerability to contract any fatal disease increases exponentially.
Azad Foundation has taken great pain to educate these children through
the medium of roadside lectures and photo exhibitions on this particular
issue of unsafe sex and the fatalities related with it. The study
conducted in this regard suggests that 70% of the children were
abused (or are engaged in homosexual activity) either by their neighbors,
group leaders, relatives or strangers. Some of them were also found
using sex for survival.
Azad
Foundation is constantly working with these children to make them
aware about the hazards of contracting STDs (Sexually Transmitted
Diseases), HIV / AIDS and the use of condoms in order to safeguard
their health.
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PSYCHOLOGICAL
TREATMENT
Due
to the trauma these children suffer as part of the street culture,
they feel distracted and bewildered. They don't know where to go
and with whom to share the insults and humiliation they experience.
This
behavior eventually turns them into criminals or drives them towards
worse forms of addiction. Taking into account the dangers involved
OPDs were conducted as an intervention technique.
Different
types of recreational activities with educational objectives to
encourage creativity, enhance socializing skills and explore the
child's potential like sports, visits to places of historical value
and group discussions were arranged. This OPD proved extremely fruitful
and has become a regular feature once a week.
The
topics that came under discussion on an average psychological counseling
OPD were:
-
Mood Disorders ( depression )
- Suicide
and Para-suicide.
- Anxiety
and phobias.
- Post
Traumatic Stress Disorder.
- General
Conduct and anti / dis-social personality disorders.
- Psychoactive
substance use disorders, including psychoses and organic disorders.
- Sleep
disorders.
- Eating
disorders.
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HIV
/ AIDS
According to the latest official figures, Pakistan has 2,020 reported
cases of HIV / AIDS so far in a population of more than 140 million.
In
Larkana, 20 cases have been reported in the past six months and
these cases were identified as abusers of injectile drugs. These
drug addicts have been found / known to offer sex for a price whenever
there is a cash crunch. Injectile drug users were the first community
to be affected by HIV/ AIDS. Sharing of needles is common among
drug users which is a potential cause related to the spread of AIDS.
Azad
Foundation with the collaboration of Aahung, an NGO engaged in raising
awareness about the hazards / fatalities of drug use and integrating
sexual health into the mainstream of the medical and social professions,
organized an awareness campaign for this purpose.
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