'Red Ribbon clubs' set up in colleges

Aizawl, May 30: Aiming to create awareness among teenagers about the danger of HIV/AIDS, the Mizoram government has decided to setup 'Red Ribbon Clubs' in all educational institutions across the state by next month.

Mizoram State Aids Control Society (MSACS), a state owned agency, director Dr Ropari told UNI today the 'Red Ribbon Clubs' would be headed by the respective college principal, where a student after being selected would work as peer educator to create awareness about HIV/AIDS among the classmates and others.

This was decided at a meeting attended by the officials of the MSACS and state health and family welfare department under the chairmanship of governor A R Kohli at Rajbhavan here today.

The selected students would undergo a comprehensive training course to be conducted by the MSACS. The course includes a campaign procedure to motivate people for voluntary blood donations in different hospitals, she added.

Apart from the training course, a well worked out guidelines from MSACS would be given to the clubs for their day to day activities, she said.

Explaining the necessity for such a club, Dr Ropari pointed that out of the total 1500 HIV affected persons in the state, more than 80 per cent are below 30 years, she said adding this club would also ensure that the students should not abuse drugs and adopt unsafe sex.

For these clubs, government was also working out a plan to pump more funds in the MSACS budget, she said.

UNI