The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) has received a grant of US$ 18.2 million under the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) Round 7. The amount will be used to enhance capacities of institutions of higher learning in HIV/AIDS Counselling and undertake capacity building of counsellors under the National AIDS Control Programme.

The Institute has 'Saksham', HIV/AIDS programme in India as part of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) Round 7.

Saksham is a partnership between 40 academic institutions in over 25 states of India. It will work closely with the National AIDS Control Organization, State AIDS Control Societies, non-government organizations, representatives of Positive People's Networks and corporate agencies to enhance the overall quality of HIV/AIDS counselling and counselling training programmes in India.

As principal recipient, TISS is responsible for providing the strategic leadership and direction to the programme. It is accountable to the India Country Coordinating Mechanism and the Global Fund for grant management, effective and efficient achievement of programme deliverables. The objective of 'Saksham' is sought to be achieved in partnership with the 6 Sub Recipients and 34 Sub Recipients.

'Saksham' is committed to responding to the needs of the national programme with regards to HIV/AIDS Counselling training through increasing the number of quality trainers. It will also look at improving the quality of training infrastructure and training systems. Besides it will support and supervise the training institutions and counsellors.

TISS along with NACO and other partners will work towards achieving the programme objectives in India. "We believe that counselling has a critical and pivotal role to play in prevention, treatment, care and support in the context of HIV/AIDS. Hence there is a pressing need for large number of good quality and skilled counsellors throughout India, which the programme will focus on," stated professor S Parasuraman, director, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS),

The GFATM is an international financing institution set up by G8 countries to support large scale prevention, treatment and care programmes against the three diseases- AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. GFATM till date has committed US$ 15.6 billion in 140 countries in the developing world.