The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Barnala commends hard work put in by AIDS agencies

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Dec 02, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Barnala commends hard work put in by AIDS agencies

Special Correspondent

Urges health institutions to come out with concrete plans to step up action against AIDS

Chennai: On the occasion of World AIDS Day on Thursday, Tamil Nadu Governor Surjit Singh Barnala congratulated all agencies that had worked to bring down HIV prevalence in the State.

"I am very happy to learn that the incidence has come down in Tamil Nadu," Mr. Barnala said at a meeting organised by the AIDS Prevention and Control (APAC) Project, Voluntary Health Services, Adyar.

He appreciated the hard work put in by the State government, APAC, voluntary organisations, peer educators in collaboration with USAID, that had brought down the spiralling incidence of HIV.

However, he added that health institutions should come out with concrete plans to initiate action at their levels to sustain and step up action against HIV/AIDS prevention programmes.

Mr.Barnala also saw a role for religious associations to conduct religious discourses and camps highlighting building up of moral values.

He said he was confident that such camps would build self-control and a pure mind in people.

United States Consul -General David Hopper highlighted the areas of collaboration between India and the U.S. in the area of HIV control and prevention, following the agreement reached between the two nations in July 2005. Collaborative ventures had been launched in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.

The private sector in America, including organisations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Gere Foundation, Clinton Foundation and Elizabeth Glazer Foundation had also contributed in India.

Madras University Vice- Chancellor, S.P.Thyagarajan, said there had been a significant decline in prevalence from 1.6 per cent in 2000 to about 0.65 per cent as per the latest surveillance studies.

Only concentrated efforts, involving state and central governments, multilateral agencies, non governmental organisations and research institutions, in fighting the virus could have led to this, Prof. Thyagarajan added.

VHS secretary, N.S.Murali, explained how the organisation had associated itself with the AIDS project and said it was thanks to networking and partnerships with over 90 NGOs that the programme had advanced into its 10th year.

P.Krishnamurthy, Project Director, APAC-VHS said Tamil Nadu was at the forefront of the HIV prevention and care programme in the country.

Human chain

Members of Pasumai Thayagam participated in a human chain formation, in the presence of Pattali Makkal Katchi president G.K.Mani, on the Marina to spread awareness about the theme for World AIDS Day, `Stop AIDS - Keep the Promise.'

Employees of Standard Chartered commemorated World AIDS Day on November 30 by participating in a `Stand up, Speak up' walkathon from Labour Statue on the Marina to the Light house. The marathon was flagged off by Chennai Police Commissioner, R.Nataraj.

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