Targeted Intervention of HIV/AIDS Prevention Programme among Core Group Population, in Salem City Corporation and Four Blocks of Salem Rural District is being supported by Tamilnadu State AIDS Control Society (TNSACS, Chennai). PDI has been implementing this programme in Salem District of Tamilnadu, since July 2004. It's a programme supported by Tamilnadu AIDS Initiative (TAI - VHS) funded by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, for the period from 2004 to June 2012. The support provided by Tamilnadu AIDS Initiative (TAI) funded by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has come to an end by June 2012. The project has been transitioned to Tamilnadu State AIDS Control Society (TNSACS), as agreed by TAI-VHS with NACO from July 2012. The Target Population of the Project are 402 female sex workers (FSWs) and 1080 male sex workers (MSMs) who hail from the selected four blocks including Kadaiyampatti, Panaimarathupatti, Ayothyapattinam, Yercaud, and entire City Corporation of Salem.

The staff team comprise of a Programme Manager, six Out-Reach workers, one Monitoring, and Evaluation Officer cum Accountant, one ANM/Counselor, and a Medical Officer. The major objective of the programme is to improve the quality of life of the target group and thereby reducing the risk of getting infected. It educates them on safe sex practices and motivates them to take treatment for STIs in the clinic attached with the project and with other Government Health Care Centres. Peer Educators plays a vital role in taking messages in outreach. Hence they were trained on legal Rights, leadership Traits, Advocacy Skills STI/HIV/basics and documentation were facilitated. Twenty four Peer Educators have been identified and they do motivate their own peers to undergo the test at ICTC, once in every six months and refers the community members to undergo regular medical check-ups for once in three months.

There are two Drop-in-Centres, one with the TI clinic at Salem Corporation and one at Kayampatti Block. Community is mobilized in the DICs and group meetings were conducted to bring behaviour change on disease prevention and to increase their quality of life. Various skill trainings have been conducted at the DICs. One transgender who is a trained beautician runs a beauty parlour at PDI’s DIC. Community mobilization is done twice a year which will be a mass gathering of HRG. Various competitions, Cultural Shows are conducted and along with community event, in order to make the gathering a productive one, service uptake on ICTC and RMC are also given. Dental Check up and Eye camps will also be conducted. Advocacy meetings are conducted with various stakeholders to discuss on the expectation, gaps, and barriers and to plan to rectify the gaps. The stakeholders are from the departments of Police, Media, Health, Social welfare, and Social protection. For the sustainability of the project, community mobilization is being done. The entire MSM and Transgender of Salem District has been collectivized as a community Based Organization namely Salem Thirunangaikal Nalavazhvu Sangam which has been registered under societies act and they implement various programmes.