Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is backing financially a project implemented by several non-governmental Indian organizations aimed at stopping the expansion of sexually





transmitted diseases. Ashodaya Women’s Co-ordination Committee, Karnataka Health Promotion Trust (KHPT) and Pennant Consulting Services will offer smart cards to no less than 500 prostitutes from Mysore city, as part of this initiative. The women and men that practice the oldest trade in the world will enjoy certain advantages, especially discounts when purchasing products or services if they will repeatedly use the cards to do so.

But the smart cards' incentive comes at a price. The beneficiaries will be obligated to turn up on a regular basis, at least once every three months to a health-check-up that will focus on detecting sexually transmitted diseases. The project is meant as a way of insuring control over the STD spreading by motivating and encouraging the most exposed members of society to undergo regular medical check-ups or lose the incentives provided by the smart cards.

“Sex workers face stigma and discrimination in their daily life. The smart card is a symbol of self-esteem that creates a sense of inclusion for them in the society,” Ratna, a community member at Ashodaya, a non-government organization (NGO) that works on AIDS, said.

Although it was scheduled to start in May, the project was postponed due to logistic problems.

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