CM for involving religious leaders in AIDS campaign

Hyderabad, Apr 28 (UNI) Concerned over Andhra Pradesh getting the dubious distinction of topping in the incidence of HIV/AIDS, Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy today wanted religious leaders to be involved in the month-long AIDS Awareness and Sustained Holistic Action (AASHA)-II campaign from May 2 against the dreaded disease.

In a video conference with District Collectors this evening, he stressed the need for involving all elected representatives, MPs and MLAs, as also Women Self-Help Groups (SHGs), to reverse the trend.

The campaign would involve intensive awareness raising through special gram sabhas in every vilage, health camps, door-to-door visits by 1.60 'AASHA MITRA' volunteers, cultural programmes, films and mobile publicity using caravans, Health Minister K Rosaiah said.

Dr Reddy agreed with a Collector that more care and support centres had to be opened for taking care of full-blown AIDS cases.

Nearly 20 per cent of HIV-infected people in India were in Andhra Pradesh, where 13 out of 23 districts reported above two per cent HIV prevelance in urban anti-natal clinics and 92 per cent of infections were in the productive age group 15-49. These statistics were quoted in a background manual released by Dr Reddy ahead of the campaign.

UNI SM AA VJ PC1921