The Hindu : `Misconceptions stalling AIDS prevention'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 02, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

`Misconceptions stalling AIDS prevention'

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE DEC. 1. Young people must lead the war against HIV/AIDS and change the attitude of society towards those infected with the virus, the Karnataka Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna, has said.

Mr. Krishna's speech was read out in his absence by the Minister for Health, Family Welfare, and Information, Kagodu Thimmappa, at the World AIDS Day function here on Sunday.

He said individual and collective action was needed to make the State, which had four lakh HIV positive people (1.35 per cent of the adult population), safe from the deadly disease. Over 70 per cent of the victims were aged between 20 and 40. The infection was spreading fast among the rural and urban youth because of unsafe sex. Since society shunned open discussions on sex and sexuality, ignorance and misconceptions continued. Despite HIV/AIDS awareness programmes, people's behaviour did not change.

Mr. Krishna wanted young people to protect their future and educate their peers on HIV/AIDS. The Government would participate in such activities and provide information required for the purpose. Since HIV-positive people faced stigma and discrimination in society and family, and at the work place and healthcare establishments, many victims did not subject themselves to HIV tests, and unknowingly, spread the infection. This nullified preventive efforts.

He said the World Health Organisation's (WHO) theme of "Live and let live" meant that people must live HIV-free lives by practising safe sex and not discriminating against the infected people.

The Government, he said, had strengthened STD (sexually-transmitted disease) clinics, and increased the number of voluntary counselling and testing centres from six to 31 and that of the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission Programme centres from one to 18. From January 1, the programme would be taken up in 21 hospitals.

Mr. Thimmappa and the Minister for Medical Education, A.B. Maalakaraddy, stressed the important role young people had to play in combating the disease.

Mr. Thimmappa released an Indian Medical Association booklet on HIV/AIDS.

Steven Moses, Director, Indo-Canada Collaborative HIV/AIDS Project, launched on November 30, said India would not face an HIV/AIDS catastrophe if people and the governments worked together.

G.V. Krishna Rau, Project Director, Karnataka State AIDS Prevention Society, A.K.M. Nayak, Principal Secretary, Health, and Sanjeev Kumar, Commissioner, Health and Family Welfare, were present.

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