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“200 AIDS victims died in the last 20 years”

PUDUCHERRY: Around 200 Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)-affected persons have died in the Union Territory during the last 20 years, Collector G. Thevaneethidhas has said.

He was addressing a press conference, along with Project Director of Pondicherry AIDS Control Society Dr Gilbert Fernandez on Thursday, which was held to announce the scheduled arrival of Red Ribbon Express here on June 7. He said that at present there were around 9,200 people infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in the Union Territory and out of this 500 persons had been affected with AIDS.

As per the latest Sentinel Surveillance, the prevalence rate among high-risk group had come down from 7.2 per cent in 1998 to 2.92 per cent in 2007. Likewise, the prevalence rate among low-risk group had also come down from 0.5 per cent in 1998 to 0.0 per cent in 2007, Mr. Thevaneethidhas said.

As many as 322 HIV-affected persons were being given free anti-retroviral treatment at the Indira Gandhi Government General Hospital and Postgraduate Institute here .

The Red Ribbon Express, a special train aimed at spreading awareness of HIV/AIDS, would be at the Puducherry Railway Station on June 7 and 8, he said. Three out of seven bogies of the train would have an exhibition that covers different aspects of HIV/AIDS, he said, adding that in the remaining coaches, training and awareness classes would be held for the visitors.

During the two days of the train’s halt here, members of the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan, Puducherry unit, would organise cultural programme in 48 villages identified by the district administration, he said.

The launch of Red Ribbon Express was aimed at promoting a “multi-sectoral effort by which HIV/AIDS could be mainstreamed within the context of overall socio-economic development rather than being treated it as a public health issue,” he said. He also appealed to the leaders of the Left parties who had called for a strike on Saturday not to cause any inconvenience to those visiting the Red Ribbon Express.

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