FIGHT AGAINST AIDS: Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy handing over torch to youth groups to mark the launch of Aasha-II in Hyderabad on Tuesday. At left is Panabaka Lakshmi, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare. -Photo: P.V. Siv akumar

HYDERABAD: Chief Minister Y.S.Rajasekhara Reddy has announced that the Government will provide land free of cost to voluntary organisations/NGOs which construct orphanages for HIV/AIDS-afflicted children.

Land would be acquired and handed over in case it was not available, he said while launching a month-long Aasha-II (AIDS Awareness and Sustained Holistic Action) here on Tuesday.

He said the Government had set up three shelter homes and called upon voluntary organisations and NGOs to set up more such homes.

Regretting that Andhra Pradesh had become the leading State in prevalence of HIV/AIDS, Dr. Reddy stressed the need for increasing awareness. Everyone should participate in spreading the message against the disease and in making Andhra Pradesh an AIDS-free State.

He said HIV/AIDS patients should not be discriminated against as it would lead to psychological trauma in them.

Treatment centres

Union Minister of State for Health P. Lakshmi said Rs.87 crores was earmarked for the State of Rs.264 crores allocated for AIDS control by the Centre this year.

An additional 100 anti-retroviral treatment centres would be opened in the country.

She urged youth to educate people on the dangers of HIV/AIDS which has afflicted 40 million worldwide. Of them, 5.1 million were in the country and 5.65 lakh in Andhra Pradesh.

Health Minister K. Rosaiah called for a massive struggle on the lines of freedom movement to get rid of HIV/AIDS.

Principal Health Secretary I.V.Subba Rao said the first phase of Aasha showed good results.

The was borne out by the fact that about 16,000 people had visited the voluntary counselling and testing centres (VCTCs) in a month after Aasha-I was launched in July last, while 9,000 had reported till December 2004. G. Rudraraju, chairman, AP Medical and Housing Infrastructure Corporation, spoke.

Later the Chief Minister handed over the Aasha torch to the Mandal Samakhya leaders, Aasha Mitras (volunteers spreading awareness) and youth leaders.

During Aasha-II the Government proposes to scale up services like HIV testing and counselling centres and fortify the gains achieved in the first phase. Its focus would be moving from community participation to community ownership.

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