Rural prevalence of HIV/AIDS higher in K'taka

Bangalore, Jan 10 (UNI) Karnataka has the dubious distinction of being the only State in the country where the rural prevalence of HIV/AIDS exceeded the urban areas and Northern Karnataka accounted for a prevalence rate of as high as 2.5 per cent of the over five lakh people living with HIV/AIDS in the State.

''This fact highlights the need for concentrating on Karnataka with a comprehensive HIV/AIDS programme that focuses on the rural areas in the northern districts,'' United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission Director George Dekuin said today.

Speaking at the launch of the US Dollar 22 million project 'Samastha' for HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control in Karnataka here, he said the project was a mission that helped to focus on the key issue of HIV/AIDS that threatened to undercut some of the State's commendable performances in other developmental indices and export economy in recent years.

Launching the project, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy said the State Government was committed to create awareness about the dreaded disease spreading like wildfire. ''We are also committed to work closely with NGOs, involved in fighting the disease especially in rural areas. Our fight is not only against the disease, but also to remove the social stigma attached to it. The affected should not be deprived of any benefits enjoyed by other people,'' he added.

''This is not just a programme or a project, but a mission. Take a collective resolve to reduce and eventually eliminate HIV and AIDS from the State,'' he exhorted.

On child marriage, he observed that it was a curse on the society. No law could prevent it since it was largely prevalent in poor families. The Government had recently identified 15,000 Devadasis for providing a financial assitance of Rs 15,000, including Rs 6,000 subsidy to start petty business. The Government would also construct houses for these families by March, he added.

Project 'Samastha', launched through the University of Manitoba, Canada, and Karnataka Health Promotion Trust, was a five-year project to be implemented in 12 districts and three major cities.

UNI