Bangalore: Just as the country observes International AIDS Day on Friday, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have expressed disappointment over handling of issues related to prevention and control of HIV/AIDS in Karnataka.

Speaking to presspersons here on Tuesday, Christie Abraham of Action Aid India said though Karnataka had been in the forefront taking steps for prevention and control of HIV/AIDS, the last two years had been disappointing. She said: "Project directors of Karnataka State AIDS Prevention Society have been changed twice this year."

The interaction between the Government and NGOs, she said, was very limited.

The NGOs had not planned any event on December 1 when the country observes International AIDS Day assuming that the Government would organise programmes. All that the Government had done was to intimate the NGOs of a meeting in Bangalore and an awareness rally, she said.

Ms. Abraham said that it was the Government's responsibility to chalk out concrete programmes for prevention and control of HIV/AIDS.

Stating that HIV/AIDS was a silent epidemic killing many in rural areas, she said, 10 persons with HIV/AIDS died with in a month in Shimoga district recently. We had to take out a rally to convince the district administration of the problems persisting in the district, she regretted.

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