Karnataka - Mangalore   

AIDS awareness programme for volunteers

Staff Correspondent

35 per cent HIV infected people are youth: expert

MANGALORE: Of the 5.2 million Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infected people in India, more than 35 per cent were the youth, said Sudha Sood, a resource person, at the five-day training of "Adolescent Peer Volunteers" being held in the city for volunteers from Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala.

The Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan and United Nations Population Fund Adolescent Health and Development Project are conducting the programme jointly. The adolescent peer volunteer programme aims at targeting the 15 to 25 age group, to prevent the spread of HIV.

Adult volunteers trained at the five-day session would go back to their respective districts and set up teen clubs and train adolescents to provide counselling and advice to their peers, said Dr. Sood.

The Government had taken steps to spread awareness about Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). This programme aimed to equip adolescents with life skills that would help them gain confidence and "say no" to temptations, she said.

Mamata Gatti, Zilla panchayat president, who inaugurated the programme and presided over the function, said that parents and caretakers should make an extra effort to ensure that their children were safe.

C.J.F. D'Souza, district youth co-ordinator, Nehru Yuva Kendra welcomed the gathering. B. Devadas Rai, president, Indian Medical Association, Mangalore; H. Jagannath, District Health and Family Welfare Officer and Cheluvaraj, zonal director, Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan were present.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Mythological themes can revive theatre: artistes
Conservation of nature must for biotechnology growth: VC
AIDS awareness programme for volunteers
`Details on import of arecanut not available'
Yakshagana week from July 30
In Mangalore Today

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu