The Hindu : Karnataka / Mysore News : AIDS awareness programme to cover 16 lakh students

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 28, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Mysore

AIDS awareness programme to cover 16 lakh students

By Our Staff Correspondent

MYSORE, JULY 27. Asha Kamat, consultant to the United Nations' International Children's Education <149>Fund (UNICEF), today said the Karnataka State AIDS Prevention Society (KSAPS) would cover about 16 lakh high school students under the School AIDS Education Programme by December 2004 to create awareness on AIDS among them.

She was speaking at the valedictory function of "Universities talk AIDS: Training of trainers on HIV/AIDS," organised by the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

Teachers trained

She said that most of the schools in the State had been covered under the programme so far, and that <149>two to three teachers from each high school had been identified and trained. The teachers had, in turn, succeeded in creating awareness in classrooms, she added.

Dr. Kamat said the KSAPS was planning to cover nearly 1,000 colleges in the State during 2004 under the College Youth AIDS programme.

It had also provided financial assistance to 33 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the State.

The NGOs, along with STD clinics across the State, had been organising various programmes such as AIDS counselling and distribution of condoms, she added.

IEC

On creation of awareness about AIDS, Dr. Kamat said there were programmes such as the <149>Information Education Communication (IEC) through which information on AIDS was being disseminated using television, radio, and even <149>folk art forms. Also, elected representatives were being trained through satellite networks, she added.

Noting that the spread of AIDS through blood banks had been contained, she said strict rules had been imposed on 62 blood banks in the State, which had helped in controlling the spread of the disease.

Blood banks

Referring to the steps taken by the Government, Dr. Kamat said the number of testing centres had been increased to 80 from the earlier six, while 27 HIV/AIDS helpline centres (ph: 1097) had been established. These testing centres also offered counselling, testing, and free treatment for AIDS patients, she added.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka

News Update

Stories in this Section

Ancient temple in need of attention

Forum's `dormancy' hits IT prospects of Mysore

Professional courses should be affordable: Ananthamurthy

AIDS awareness programme to cover 16 lakh students

Huge turnout for pre-paid SIM cards