The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Teachers urged to lead anti-AIDS campaign

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Sunday, Nov 05, 2006
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Teachers urged to lead anti-AIDS campaign

Staff Reporter

India should learn from experience of other countries, say speakers at workshop

TAMBARAM : Expressing concern at the large number of HIV/AIDS patients in India, speakers at a workshop on Friday called upon teachers to play a greater role in increasing awareness among the youth, particularly, students.

During a national workshop on HIV/AIDS for teachers in Christian colleges organised by the Madras Christian College at Tambaram in collaboration with Center for Church and Global AIDS, Denver, U.S., the speakers stressed the need for more open and honest discussions on HIV and AIDS.

Donald Messer of the Center for Church and Global AIDS in Denver said India had the highest number of HIV/AIDS patients in the world and had to learn from other countries on how to prevent and control the disease and avoid mistakes committed by other nations.

Stating that India was now at the crossroads in dealing with HIV/AIDS, Dr. Messer pointed out that of the 5.7 million patients in India, 38 per cent were women.

This was proof of the vulnerability of women as they were always the worst affected due to their lack of access to education, health and hygiene.

On the role of churches in HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness, Dr. Messer listed some of the mistakes they had committed, including apathy by not dealing with it and being blind to gender inequality and poverty. "Instead of being ministers of life, we have become missionaries of death," Dr. Messer remarked.

Banner Makan, executive director of Christian HIV/AIDS National Alliance (CANA), said the total bed strength in all the hospitals was only 20 million in India.

Tambaram MLA S.R. Raja released a book 'The Conspiracy of Silence' written by Dr. Donald Messer at the workshop.

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