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Monday, Mar 17, 2008
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Red Ribbon Express coming

Staff Reporter

BERHAMPUR: The Red Ribbon Express will reach Berhampur in second week of April to create AIDS awareness in Ganjam district, the most HIV-prone area in Orissa.

The special train launched by the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) and the Indian Railways was flagged off from New Delhi on December 1 last.

It is now on a tour round the country. The train has seven coaches with exhibition and educational material to create HIV/AIDS awareness. It also has an auditorium-cum-conference hall and medical facility to provide counselling as well as medical service to the needy HIV positive persons.

Initially the train was not to reach Ganjam district during its journey through Orissa. It was to touch stations like Rourkela, Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Puri, Titlagarh which do not fall under high HIV prevalence areas of the State. The Indian Network of NGOs on HIV/AIDS (INN) and Orissa State AIDS Control Society (OSACS) had opposed this route map of the Red Ribbon Express.

According to the national vice-president of INN, Loknath Mishra, they had urged NACO and the railway authorities to make this special train travel through HIV-prone areas of the State.

Mr. Mishra said that as per the rescheduled route of the Red Ribbon Express in Orissa, it would reach Balasore on April 1, the Utkal Divas or foundation day of Orissa state. It would then reach out to railway stations at Bhadrak, Mancheswar, Angul, Sambalpur, Bolangir before reaching Berhampur.

It is expected to end its journey in Orissa at Berhampur station on April 13 after a stay of three days, Mr. Mishra said.

The Red Ribbon Express plans to cover 43,200 villages in 180 HIV-prone districts of India by travelling over 9000 km. During its stay at a station the social organisations, youth, women, SHGs, adolescents from schools and colleges as well as panchayati raj institution members would be mobilised to enhance AIDS awareness programme in their district.

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