Panchyats should be involved in fights against AIDS: Nitish

Patna, Dec 16 (UNI) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today called for active involvement of Panchayat representatives to make the awareness drive on measures to prevent the spread of AIDS disease successful.

Addressing a seminar on 'role of elected representatives in awareness campaign on AIDS' organised under the joint auspices of Bihar legislative forum on HIV/AIDS and UNAIDS, Mr Kumar said Panchayat representatives could play vital role in fulfilling the mission of combating the disease. '' As there is no vaccine available to check the spread of the disease, it could be controlled only through awareness among the people, '' he added.

Mr Kumar called upon the UNAIDS to provide funds for checking this menace in Bihar and stressed on the evolution of a proper monitoring system to properly implement the AIDS awareness programmes.'' Now time has come to move out from conference halls and work at ground level to achieve the desired mission'' he said.

Addressing the seminar, speaker of Bihar assembly Udai Narain Chaudhary said that some districts including Kishanganj, Madhubani, Araria, Sitammarhi, Drabhanga, East Champaran and West Champaran were worst affected and intensive awareness campaign would be launched in these districts to check the spread of this deadly disease.

Later talking to reporters, Mr Chaudhary said that HIV positive and full blown AIDS cases would be identified at block level and steps would be taken to provide medicines and other facilities to the victims and their immediate family members. Laboratories would be established at district levels having proper facilities for blood test to detect the HIV positive cases.

He said a demonstration centre cum library would be opened in Patna to enable the people for seeking information and measures to be taken to prevent the spread of the disease.

Dr Peter Piot, under secretary of UNAIDS, told reporters that social vaccine was needed to check the spread of the disease. When asked, he elaborated social vaccine as-- awareness among the people on measures to take safeguards against any chance of being affected by the disease.

Mr Suma Chakarborty, permanent secretary, department of international development, UK government, said that Panchayat representatives, teachers and media could play vital role in achieving this mission.

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