87 children in Mizoram affected with HIV

Aizawl, Nov 30 (UNI) As many as 87 children have been found to be HIV positive in Mizoram, says AIDS workers working in the state.

The workers have made an appeal to the public to get themselves checked in Prevention of parent fo child transmission (PPTCT) centres and take adequate precautions to prevent themselves getting infected by this virus.

The Federation of NGOs Working in Drugs and AIDS Prevention and Care(FONWIDAPAC) and the Mizoram State AIDS Control Society(MSACS) will jointly observe the World AIDS Day tomorrow. The theme of this year's World AIDS Day is ''Stop AIDS, Keep the Promise Leadership'', subtitled ''Save the Children''.

Speaking on the high incidences of young people in the state being infected by the virus, the Federation's Secretary K Zohmingthanga said, ''Between 1990 to September 2007, 144 people have died due to AIDS, according to the records.'' AIDS workers said HIV was most prevalent among the age group of 30-39 (681 people), as compared to 182, 508, 552 and 197 people of 15-19, 20-24, 25-29 and 40-49 age groups respectively.'' While emphasising the need to provide a peaceful atmosphere for those infected by HIV/AIDS, Mr Zohmingthanga said the need of the hour was to protect the children from the infection. He maintained that HIV is a virus and not a moral issue.

On the occassion, a concert will be organised to promote awareness among the people about AIDS, towards safety of the children against the virus, MSACS officials informed.

Out of the 43,858 people tested so far, 2,241 have been affected by HIV, of which 902 are female, records say.

UNI