Sanjeevani was established in March 2003 and registered in March 2010 as a CBO of men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender (TG) living with HIV, under the Societies Registration Act of 1860. It has been a support group of over 300 individuals living with HIV.
It works closely with the Targeted Interventions (TIs) managed by The Humsafar Trust under the National AIDS Control Program in India, wherein people living with HIV (PLHIV) from the TIs are registered with Sanjeevani. The Sanjeevani Health facilitators work with 10 Government ART Centres across Mumbai for registrations and treatment of PLHIV individuals registered with Sanjeevani. They also network with the Medical Social Work departments of LokmanyaTilak Municipal General Hospital, Sion, BYL Nair Charitable Hospital, J.J. Hospital, and KEM Hospital for free or concessional treatments and testing. In addition to it, Sanjeevani networks Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) for second and third line Anti-retroviral Treatment, Multi-Drug resistant (MDR), Totally Drug Resistant (TDR), and Extensively Drug Resistant (XDR) Tuberculosis treatment and management of Hepatitis C infection, Family Planning Association of India (FPAI) for Hepatitis B Screening and Vaccination and reaching out to the female partners of men who have sex with men (MSM), Community Care Centres (CCCs) like NiramayNiketan and Saahas for the management of Opportunistic Infections of members undergoing ART and Damini Trust, Karunya Trust and Ojus Medical Institute for need-based ration support.
Besides being a much-needed support group to counter the stigma of HIV, Sanjeevani has primarily worked towards ensuring unhindered access to healthcare and treatment to socially and economically marginalized MSM. Members registered with Sanjeevani also receive Positive Living counseling and nutritional advice on specific dietary needs options based on their medical history, lifestyle, and economic status. Sanjeevani also conducts monthly Support Group Meetings to interact and discuss common issues. These initiatives enable them to live a more fulfilling and dignified life. Sanjeevani has grown from 12 to a total of 320 members registered with it over the last few years. One of the greatest successes of the organization has been developing and sustaining an extremely thorough approach towards a continuum of care, which is reflected not only in personalized support offered to each and every individual but also in the extensive case documentation maintained. The Sanjeevani health workers network with government hospitals and ART centers for Pre-ART registration of members, ensure their periodic CD4 Count testing and Baseline Investigation, follow-up on starting the ART Treatment based on CD4 count monitoring, and assist in hospitalization, wherever needed. Individual case files are maintained containing detailed chronological data on CD4 count, baseline investigation, and ART treatment. This unique initiative helps with better documentation, effective treatment, and better management of Opportunistic Infections and Co-infections. The case files maintained by Sanjeevani health workers have been widely appreciated by doctors treating Sanjeevani members.
Having started by catering primarily to MSM and TG populations, over time, Sanjeevani has been able to mainstream the care and treatment services and extend them to men and women outside the MSM and TG communities, a crucial step towards countering stigma and discrimination. Furthermore, Sanjeevani has been a part of the movement for more effective legislation on the rights of PLHIV. It has also incessantly worked on advocacy and rapport building with different government, private and community-based organizations so that the Sanjeevani members can not only avail free or concessional services but also a friendly environment can be created in these spaces are free from stigma or discrimination.