The Hindu : New Delhi News : Finally, it’s green signal for Red Ribbon Express

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Friday, Nov 23, 2007
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New Delhi

Finally, it’s green signal for Red Ribbon Express

Bindu Shajan Perappadan

The seven-coach campaign train will be flagged off from New Delhi on December 1, the World AIDS Day

Project is aimed at increasing awareness about HIV/AIDS
The train will have 180 halts over a period of one year

NEW DELHI: Having remained in the docks for well over two years, the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry’s ambitious “Red Ribbon Express” - India’s largest rural campaign on train - has finally been given the all-clear signal.

The seven-coach Red Ribbon Express will be flagged off from New Delhi on December 1, World AIDS Day.

This mammoth multi-sectoral and multi-activity social mobilisation campaign on HIV/AIDS will reach out to people in over 20 States and Union Territories covering a total of 70,000 km across the country.

“A national campaign to mainstream the issue of HIV/AIDS around the idea of the Red Ribbon Express was developed by the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, National Aids Control Organisation and Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan in 2004.

The broad objectives of the project include providing communication and a service package to rural population and reach un-reached rural areas,” said Red Ribbon Express programme director Chandra Shekhar Pran.

The project is targeted specifically at youth groups, women/women’s self-help groups, adolescent/student community, urban slum dwellers and farmers. The Union Railway Ministry has provided one train comprising seven coaches for refurbishment and use under the project.

According to a senior official in the Health and Family Welfare Ministry, the project is aimed at increasing the level of accurate knowledge about HIV/AIDS, build up an enabling environment (from open dialogue) which results in people seeking health services and provide information required to promote safe behaviour.

“During its one-year run the project will work towards achieving its objectives and goals including breaking the silence around HIV/AIDS and initiate behaviour change through communication,” said Mr. Pran.

The train, stopping at pre-determined stations, will serve as the nodal point for serving and accessing a cluster of pre-identified villages.

It will have six performing teams each with 10 artistes who will use bicycles to “fan out” in the area with the aim of covering between 24 and 72 villages during each halt. They will stage plays and skits about HIV/AIDS in these villages. In addition, the train will have medical practitioners, counsellors and activists.

The train is expected to have 180 halts over a period of one year, where it will be stationed for one to three days. In all, the campaign is expected to cover 42,750 villages across the country.

“As a follow-up activity, Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan is also planning to set up Red Ribbon Clubs in villages to carry on the awareness programmes even after the campaign on the train is completed. Reaching the un-reached villages would be the main distinctiveness of the project,” said Mr. Pran.

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