Tirupati: After Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam and Guntur, Tirupati is all set to become the fourth destination in the State and the first in Rayalaseema to get Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) centre, which is expected to be a major boon for HIV positive persons.

The centre, which is likely to come up by the end of this month at S.V.R.R. Government General Hospital, is being viewed as AIDS Day gift and major step towards keeping the dreaded disease at bay.

HIV prevalence

Though Chittoor district ranks only 16th in HIV prevalence, the heavy floating population to the temple city has made it prone to the risk of virus-spread, which has apparently made the Government to pull up its socks and take a preventive step. A CD4 count machine will be in place at the centre to offer cell count services.

HIV positive patients have to constantly monitor the cell count in white blood corpuscles (WBCs) as its drop below 200 units will have to be taken as an indication that they are slipping to the AIDS stage.

State's slogan

The centre will also provide ARV drugs to the patients free of cost.

Meanwhile, awareness rallies marked the `World AIDS Day' celebrations on Thursday.

The District AIDS Control Society conducted a programme at Urban Haat with the slogan `Stop AIDS - Make Your Promise'.

The Academy of Gandhian Studies (AGS) and the Tirupati Jaycees organised an event called `Lesson for life' as part of the Global Movement for Children.

Students were divided into clusters and smaller rallies were taken out in lanes and by-lanes to ensure better reach of the message.

Open house

The Regional Science Centre conducted a painting contest and an open house quiz on the theme, while Rashtriya Seva Samithi (RASS) organised an awareness programme at Karakambadi.

The NSS unit of SVIMS University also conducted a rally in the town.

NCC cadets numbering 300 took part in a rally organised by the 5 (Andhra) Girls Battalion. The rally was flagged off by Iqbal Singh.

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