The Hindu : New Delhi News : Global alliance to take on AIDS in South Asia launched

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Global alliance to take on AIDS in South Asia launched

Staff Reporter

Aim is to double the outreach plans by targeting over 1.5 million people

NEW DELHI: On the occasion of World AIDS Day-2008, the Indian Red Cross Society along with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies launched the “South Asia Red Cross Red Crescent Global Alliance on HIV” on Monday as part of a global effort to scale up HIV programming. The aim is to double the outreach of Red Cross Red Crescent HIV programmes in the region by targeting over 1.5 million people.

The National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies of India, Nepal and Bangladesh and Sri Lanka launched the Global Alliance on HIV with a total programme budget of Rs.624.5 million.

Speaking on the occasion, Indian Red Cross Society Secretary-General Dr. S. P. Agarwal said: “It is a historic occasion for the IRCS as the launch for the region is being done from the Disaster Management Centre of the Society that co-ordinates and commands our major disaster relief operations in the country.” “At present IRCS HIV programme is being conducted by a staff of 104 people and we are holding youth peer group education programmes in schools and colleges and colleges; care, support and nutrition programmes for HIV positive patients; and service, support and stigma project for children and adu-lts living with HIV,” he added.

The International Federation estimates that of the global total of 33 million people living with HIV, there are about 2.6 million in South Asia of which around 95 per cent are in India.

The International Federation’s Special Representative for HIV, Dr. Mukesh Kapila, said: “HIV continues to pose a huge threat and many people in Asia remain unaware of the dangers. If there is something more deadly than HIV, it is complacency about HIV.”

“The Global Alliance will focus on supporting the most vulnerable groups including four lakh young people, 80,000 people living with HIV and at least 7,000 sex workers,” he added.

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