Samraksha started working in 1993 primarily in the HIV sector as part of a larger developmental organization called Samuha. Today it is an independently registered trust. The major thrust of the work at present is palliative care for people living with life limiting conditions, which cannot be reversed. Samraksha seeks to provide comprehensive medical, nursing and psychosocial support which helps in reducing pain as well as emotional distress of these people and their families. Samraksha also works with communities in order to help nurture community based support systems which will help these people and their families. Samraksha continues to work in HIV care and support, specifically with certain groups like widowed young women and adolescent boys and girls in HIV affected families. Samraksha has in the past worked intensively in HIV prevention as well as care and support, with a focus on empowering the vulnerable groups and helping them live safely and with dignity. Many of the programmes which Samraksha developed and refined in the early years of the epidemic, based on the emerging scenarios are now accepted as common practice.