Manipur hosts a workshop for co-operative leaders on HIV

Lamphelpat (Manipur), Mar 3 (ANI): A workshop for co-operative leaders on mainstreaming of HIV in the education and training system of cooperatives was held in Manipur to spread awareness about the diseases and ways to prevent it.

The event was organized by the International cooperation Alliance and National Council for cooperative Training, New Delhi in collaboration with the Institute of Cooperative Management, Imphal under the sponsorship of the International Congress of AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICA-AP) and the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO.)

The workshop aims to sensitize the cooperative members on the issues of HIV/AIDS.

In the three technical sessions, different resource persons working in the field of HIV / AIDS gave their lectures on HIV / AIDS.

Savitri, advisor of Gender Program ICA Asia Pacific said that co-operative organisations could reach the grassroot level in creating awareness about HIV among the masses.

"The co-operatives are the organisations which are reaching to the grassroot level. HIV is not only a health issue, but it has become a development issue as well. Prevention is the way, which can save the people. So we are trying to educate the co-operative members to create awareness among the people," said Savitri.

One of the participants commended that the workshop has encouraged them to do their bit in spreading message about AIDS among the people.

"I would like to express my appreciation for the workshop which not only creates awareness, but also encourages translating into action.

As a member of co-operative workers, I will contribute by spreading the message among the artisans," said Juliana Devi, a participant.

The number of people estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS in India is about 2.47 million discounting earlier apprehensions that India could have up to five million persons affected by HIV.

Recent estimates suggest that the number could be between two to three million. By L C K Singh (ANI)