Red Ribbon Exp to reach K'taka on July 21

Bangalore, July 18 (UNI) The Red Ribbon Express, on a mission to 'unite India against HIV/AIDS,' will enter Karnataka on July 21.

The Karnataka State AIDS Prevention Society has undertaken a massive preparatory exercise to ensure that the train's mission of educating people on HIV/AIDS was fulfilled by involving people from all sections of society.

Talking to newspersons here today, State Health and Family Welfare Department Commissioner Srinivasacharya said the train, arriving from Jolarpettai in Tamil Nadu, would halt at 11 stations in the state before heading for Madgaon in Goa on August 14.

He said at every halt, Nehru Yuva Kendra volunteers would visit neighbouring villages and perform cultural programmes on HIV/AIDS.

The train was flagged off by Congress supremo Sonia Gandhi at New Delhi on December one 2007 on World AIDS Day and would return to the capital city on November 28, 2008.

Three of the seven coaches of the train were dedicated for exhibition and display on basic information on HIV infection, routes of transmission and protecting oneself from the disease.

A 60-seater auditorium was built for providing in-depth training to health care providers and elected representatives. Two-hour orientation and sensitisation sessions would also be held.

Doctors in cubicles would undertake counselling on HIV/AIDS as well as syndromic treatment of STI/RTI cases.

Conceptualised by the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, the Red Ribbon Express project was being implemented by the national AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) in collaboration with the Indian Railways, the NYKS, State AIDS Control Societies and UNICEF.

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