The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Transport staff, police to take part in anti-AIDS drive

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 01, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Transport staff, police to take part in anti-AIDS drive

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, NOV. 30. Transport Department officials are proposed to be involved in the awareness drive to educate truck drivers on HIV/AIDS.

The drivers, along with commercial sex workers, are target groups of the Medical and Health Department and the Andhra Pradesh State AIDS Control Society (APSACS), I.V.Subba Rao, Principal Secretary, told presspersons here on Tuesday, on the eve of World AIDS Day tomorrow.

As only 30 per cent of the people were aware of the AIDS virus, society was utilising women's self-help groups in spreading awareness, which would lay stress on empowerment of women/girls.

Education of girls would be part of empowerment that would drive home the message of delayed marriages.

Religious bodies too

The Government was planning to involve religious institutions in the campaign and to induct about 1 lakh young activists in the 20-25 year age group, to spread awareness. They would advocate an attitudinal change among the 15-49 year age group because AIDS had become a major concern in the State, which ranks second in the country, after Maharashtra.

Dr. Rao said that the police personnel would be involved in the awareness of commercial sex workers. The department would meet the healthcare needs of sex workers.

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