Policemen join hands in fight against AIDS

Mumbai, June 13 (UNI) A symposium, focused on strengthening Police response to HIV, was held in Pune yesterday.

The symposium was organized by the Avahan India Aids Initiative with support from Constella Futures and Pathfinder International, according to a press release here.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Prakash Sabde of Maharashtra State AIDS Control Society stressed the need for creating meaningful partnerships and collaborations to catalyse a nation-wide movement against the spread of HIV.

Mr Sabde informed that MSACS will add nine more ART centres to the existing 17, making it 26.

Under the National Rural Health Mission, efforts will be made to train nurses and Aanganwadi workers at Primary Health Centres and rural women will be encouraged to go in for voluntary testing, he said. The PHCs will be equipped to administer ''nevarapine'' to prevent parent to child transmission, he said, adding, ''We aim to reduce HIV transmission from mothers to newborns upto 30 per cent.'' UNI