Spotlight: Dareecha Male Health Society (Pakistan)

Based in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Dareecha Male Health Society (Dareecha) has experience working with the MSM community since 2012. Dareecha was officially registered in June 2015 and started working as an independent CBO in January 2016. Comprising of 15 staffs, Dareecha is one of the country recipients of the Multi-Country South Asia Global Fund HIV Programme (MSA), in which APCOM acts as the grant’s regional sub-recipient.

Dareecha envisions a world, an Asia, a Pakistan and a Rawalpindi, where individuals are able to exercise their fundamental human rights for the achievement of personal and professional excellence, regardless of their sexual orientation, sexual behaviour, and gender identity. In doing so, Dareecha strives for the advancement of the social and health rights of males who have sex with males by strengthening community systems and developing community led interventions to focus on addressing discrimination and stigma.

Under MSA, Dareecha’s activities include HIV and STI testing and counselling services, distribution of condom and water-based lubes, IEC material for HIV and STI awareness and education, conducting advocacy with stakeholders and liaison with the National AIDS Control Programme in Islamabad and Punjab AIDS Control Programme, as well as stigma reduction activities towards media and the public. To avoid dropping outs in their treatment cascade, Dareecha has been providing care and support to clients by referring and registering them to government facilities.

To contact Dareecha, reach out to Programme Manager Umais Bin Tahir at [email protected] or their office at House #648 A, F Block, Satellite Town, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.