The Hindu : National : New role for States in war against AIDS

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Oct 24, 2004

National

National

New role for States in war against AIDS

By Bindu Shajan Perappadan

NEW DELHI, OCT. 23. Concerned over the increasing vulnerability of young people to HIV/AIDS, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the National AIDS Control Organisation and the Ministry of Human Resource Development are engaged in shaping up the country's "collective vision" for tackling the deadly disease.

And if things go as planned, the three together would soon roll out an antidote to safeguard the young through their unique integrated project where international agencies including the UNICEF and the UNFPA have been asked to pitch in.

Waiting in the pipeline is a plan to incorporate HIV/AIDS prevention education as part of in-service as well as pre-service training of teachers so that all the education providers are equipped with necessary information and skills to safeguard their students against HIV/AIDS.

This all-out attempt involving teachers, according to officials, will be the "most powerful anti-AIDS/HIV master plan for the nation".

Ambitious plan

What this ambitious plan proposes to do is reinforce the continuous efforts made to influence the State syllabi for incorporation of all aspects of HIV prevention education across States.

Carrying the talks forward, the Union HRD Ministry has also instructed that a working group be formed in each State, headed by the Secretary Education and comprising Director Education, Director of the State Council of Education Research and Training (SCERT), non-government organisation working in the area and representatives of people living with HIV/AIDS.

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