Southern States - Andhra Pradesh   

AIDS education in school curriculum: CM

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD Dec. 1. The Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, has announced inclusion of HIV/AIDS education in high school curriculum. Participating in the official World AIDS Day programme at the Necklace road here on Sunday, Mr. Naidu exhorted students to guard against the dangers of reckless lifestyles. He called for a behavioural change in people to stay clear of HIV.

Mr. Naidu defended the recent campaign on AIDS on the Assembly premises and a discussion on the subject in the House saying the exercise on creating mass awareness about the disease had to start from legislators.

The Health Minister, Kodela Sivaprasada Rao, called for a commitment on the part of everyone to rid the country of AIDS. J.V.R. Prasada Rao, Secretary, Medical, Health and Family Welfare, said discrimination should not be practised against AIDS victims.

The Union Minister of State for Railways, Bandaru Dattatreya, Commercial Taxes Minister, K. Vijayarama Rao, Panchayat Raj Minister, N. Janardhana Reddy, and UNICEF country representative, Maria Calivis, also spoke.

The Chief Minister launched the AIDS prevention education programme for schoolchildren. A rally was taken out from the Ambedkar statue on the Tank Bund to the venue earlier, which was flagged off by the Health Minister.

Elsewhere in the city, the South Central Railway observed the occasion by taking out a procession of students of its educational institutions from the Railway Degree College to the Railway Hospital at Lalaguda.

A meeting with the theme "Tackling HIV/AIDS related stigma" was organised at the Central Prison, Chanchalguda, by the Directorate of Field Publicity, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, and the Partnership for Sexual Health (PSH), Prison Project. The Malakpet MLA, N. Indrasena Reddy, and the Deputy Inspector General of Prisons, M.R. Ahmed, spoke.

Mr. Ahmed said the PSH project was launched in June to create awareness among prisoners about sexual diseases. The project took off in 12 prisons and it would be extended to another 23 prisons, he added.

The Citizens Council of AP got up a meeting at St. Maria High School grounds at Rajanna Bowli near Aliabad. The volunteers of the council distributed condoms, literature and pamphlets to truck and lorry drivers at Chandrayangutta.

A rally of autorickshaws was held near the Secunderabad railway station under the aegis of D.K.T. India. The drivers distributed condoms and leaflets to the public.

The Musheerabad MLA, K. Laxman, participated in a programme organised by the Hyderabad district Collectorate at the Sundarayya Vignana Kendram. The Collector, Rajeswar Tiwari, said free distribution of condoms was taken up at 900 fair price shops and 200 Griha Mitra centres in the twin-cities. An AIDS awareness campaign was carried out in 40 slums in the last four days. The city unit of the Telugu Yuvatha organised a rally on the Necklace road.

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