AIDS education scheme for schools soon

By Our Staff Reporter

PONDICHERRY, APRIL 14. The Project Director of the Pondicherry AIDS Control Society, Dr. D. Balasubramanian, said here today that ninth and eleventh standards students from 150 high and higher secondary schools would be trained, under the school education on AIDS programme.

The schools have been identified by the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), and the training would serve to build awareness among the youth to spread the message on various aspects of HIV and AIDS among the people.

Inaugurating a three-day workshop for volunteers of various NGOs, organised by the Pondicherry-based Society for Community Development and Rehabilitation, NACO, and the Department of Psychiatry, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Dr. Balasubramanian said under the first phase of training programme, members of the medical profession were trained by NACO and JIPMER and CMC, Vellore had been identified as training institutes. The second phase, being taken up now, would involve the students of the ninth and eleventh standard to promote awareness on AIDS. The former Secretary and Director of Pondicherry-based Indian Institute of Community Development, Mr. V.A. Vasudevaraju, said AIDS drawn the attention of every section of the society and process of development of the nation should not suffer any setback because of interruption by such maladies.

Emphasising on the effective role played by NGOs, he said Government alone could not deliver the goods on its own. Professionalism of these non governmental agencies was a remarkable development, Mr. Vasudevaraju said.

The participants in the training programmes were exhorted to serve the needs of those afflicted with AIDS and counsel them so that the HIV positive people did not feel socially isolated. Twenty persons have been chosen for the training programme. There would also be a follow-up action programme after the training.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Regional
Previous : Leaders pay homage to Dr. Ambedkar
Next     : U.P. Govt.-SEC controversy over panchayat polls