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Strengthen AIDS awareness programmes: Sreemathy

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Awareness rallies, education campaigns and voluntary blood donation camps were organised at many places in the district by various non-governmental organisations and the Kerala State AIDS Control Society (KSACS) on Tuesday to mark the World AIDS Day. One of the main events of the day was the donning of the red ribbon, the global symbol representing the fight against HIV/AIDS. At a function at the office of the Chief Minister, Health Minister P.K. Sreemathy fastened a red ribbon on V.S. Achuthanandan. People wear red ribbon on World AIDS Day to express solidarity with those affected by the infection. The Chief Minister and the Health Minister appealed to all to show compassion and concern for the HIV-infected by donning the red ribbon. Health Secretary Manoj Joshi pinned the red ribbon on Chief Secretary Neela Gangadharan. All employees of the Collectorate, Kerala State Road Transport Corporation, police, social welfare, local self-government departments appeared for work donning the red ribbon. Red ribbon events were organised by the Red Ribbon clubs in various colleges. Inaugurating the State-level programme on World AIDS Day, organised by KSACS here, the Health Minister said that strong interventions by the KSACS to generate awareness on HIV and to reduce the stigma and discrimination had yielded good results. The rate of infection in the State was 0.26, which was below the national average. However, this did not mean that the State could afford to be complacent and all awareness generation and prevention activities should be strengthened, especially among the high-risk groups, to sustain the State’s good record, Ms. Sreemathy said. She said that provision of safe blood for transfusion was one of the priority areas for the KSACS, and the government proposed to open more blood storage centres in the State. She said within the next two years, all community health centres in the State, especially those handling deliveries, would be equipped with blood storage centres. Ms. Sreemathy said an anti-retroviral therapy (ART) centre would be opened in Kasaragod. The free nutrition scheme for HIV-positive persons was another initiative that the State had launched with the help of the Social Welfare Department. She also distributed the awards for ‘anganwadi’ workers for HIV-prevention/awareness activities. Magician Gopinath Muthukad performed a show carrying the day’s message.

                                                                                                               
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