Date:02/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/02/stories/2008120259390400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

People living with HIV/AIDS demand nutritious food

Staff Reporter

Jathas, street plays and protests were organised to mark World AIDS Day

— Photo: K Gopinathan

Demanding action: Members of Karnataka HIV/AIDS Forum staging a protest in front of Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital in Bangalore on Monday.

Bangalore: World AIDS Day was observed all over the city by holding protests, jathas and street plays.

Demanding distribution of nutritious food at the antiretroviral therapy (ART) centres in the State, members of Karnataka HIV/AIDS Forum on Monday staged a protest demonstration in front of Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital.

Jagannath from the forum said it would be a great help to poor HIV/AIDS patients if the first line ART drugs were supplemented with nutritious food.

“Once we are HIV positive we have to take care of our health. It is very important because our life span depends on the importance we give to our lifestyle and our health. We have to take precautions and eat nutritious food to ensure that we don’t get infections. This is also essential to keep the CD4 cell count,” Mr. Jagannath told The Hindu.

The protesters later submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa and sent a copy to Health Minister B. Sriramulu.

Awareness

An awareness programme was organised at Kendriya Vidyalaya, ASC Centre.

Karan Dravid, a class IV student of Kendriya Vidyalaya MEG and Centre, Bangalore and India Development Foundation’s youngest social ambassador was invited to speak on the importance of health on World AIDS Day.

Jatha

The Indian Red Cross Society and Sheshadripuram Pre-University College organised an AIDS awareness jatha to mark the day.

The jatha that began from the Sheshadripuram College went through Shivananda Circle, Race Course Road, Anand Rao Circle and culminated at the college.

Street plays

The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) under its Socio-Economic Development Foundation has partnered with the “Project CONNECT” team of Population Services International (PSI) for implementing the HIV/AIDS workplace programme in Karnataka.

On Monday, FICCI organised a series of street plays in the Peenya Industrial Area (PIA) at the PIA office, TVS Cross, NTTF Cross and Eros Pharma.

Minister’s plea

“Youth and women should lead campaigns to spread awareness about HIV prevention in their own areas,” Medical Education Minister Ramchandra Gowda said here on Monday.

Speaking after inaugurating the World AIDS Day event jointly organised by Karnataka State AIDS Prevention Society (KSAPS) and Department of Health and Family Welfare, the Minister said youth and women played a crucial role in HIV prevention as they could spread the message in a better way.

“I urge the youth to say no to pre-marital sex,” the Medical Education Minister said and made all the youngsters in the auditorium take a pledge to spread awareness in their own locality.

Saroja Putran, a HIV positive person and president of Karnataka Network of People Living with HIV, urged the Government to provide free second line antiretroviral therapy (ART) in the State as many positive people had developed resistance to first line drugs.