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Journalism of Courage
CHANDIGARH, Dec 1: The State AIDS Control Society, UT, held a workshop today to mark the World AIDS Day at the UT Guest House.
Speaking on the occasion, chief guest Vineeta Rai, Advisor to the Administrator UT, said India has 1 per cent infection rate. "But India does have the highest number of HIV positive cases in the world, around 3.5 million. What is alarming is that although the disease was transmitted to India much later, it is spreading with unprecedented rapidity," said Rai. She also emphasised that parents should discuss safe sex with the children.
Speaking on the occasion, Director Principal cum Secretary Medical Education and Research Dr V.K. Kak said there is a need to propagate prevention of the spread of AIDS virus. He said it is the duty of the media to take up the challenge of educating the masses and lamented that the national education policy has no provision for sex education. "The UT Administration should initiate sex education in its educational institutions," he said.
Speaking at the workshop earlier, Dr Shobha Sehgal of MER, said there are 5.8 million AIDS-infected people in the world and 2.5 million died in 1998. Dr Sarla Malhotra of PGI said AIDS is no longer a disease of men. One woman is infected by the virus every 20 seconds, which works out to 600 women every day. "Six million infected pregnant women will give birth to 10 million affected children," she said.
Dr Bhushan Kumar of PGI observed that sexual behaviour of the people was responsible for the spread of AIDS while Dr Archana Sood of PGI informed that a patient after becoming symptomatic dies within a period of 8 to 10 years. Dr Ajay Wanchu said that although there is no medicine to prevent the virus the pace of growth of the disease can be prolonged. Dr Ajit Awasthi stressed on the need to change our attitude towards such patient.
Dr Joginder Singh, DHS, UT, said we should not hesitate to teach sex education to our children because 50 per cent of the people affected by AIDS in our country are the youth.
SBI, Lions Club organise camp
The State Bank of India, NRI branch, and Lions Club Chandigarh today organised a blood donation camp to mark the World AIDS Day at the Sector 42 Government College for Girls here. The camp was inaugurated by K. K. Mehra, Deputy General Manager, SBI. The function was presided over by Mohini Sharma, principal of the College.
More than 150 units of blood were donated by the students, staff and NSS volunteers. A team of doctors from the Sector 32 Government Medical College and Hospital supervised the camp.
