Talk on AIDS

HIV/AIDS has spread like a wildfire throughout the length and breadth of the country. As the facts stand, presently, 3.8 million Indians are HIV positive. In Delhi alone there are 22,000 HIV positive cases and the number is increasing day by day. Nearly 90 per cent of the population affected is in the sexually active and economically productive age group of 18-49 years, and one in every four cases reported is a woman.But as far as unreported cases are concerned, it is feared, that the number might be several times greater than the reported cases. Due to the ignorance and the social stigma attached to HIV/AIDS, many youngsters are clueless about the dangers of this particular virus.
The Delhi State AIDS Control Society (DSACS) and Kolmet Educational and Social Welfare Society (KESWS), an NGO, with assistance from UNESCO and UNICEF, recently conducted an advocacy workshop for the principals of 30 secondary and senior-secondary schools of North-West B Zone at CRPF Public School in the Capital. The workshop is the first stage of a Delhi government project, which intends to cover 1,000 schools over the next five years. DSACS has allotted zones to registered NGOs who are responsible for implementing the project. The KESWS, project director, and member of the managing committee, Carol Sharma said: ‘‘Since prevention is the only cure as far as AIDS is concerned, this project is aimed at creating awareness among children in the age group of 14 plus — Classes IX-XII.’’
While addressing the teachers and peer educators, Sharma provided information on HIV and AIDS including simple facts such as death in AIDS occurred because of the invasion of the victim’s immune mechanism by the virus. Sharma said: ‘‘Fortunately, the virus, although infectious, dies quickly in an open environment and thus is not carried by food, water, air, towels and utensils.’’ Dr Ajay Gambhir, paediatrician, remarked that contrary to popular notions, ‘‘AIDS cannot be contracted through kissing, hugging, shaking hands, mosquitoes, flies and working or living with an infected victim.’’
The speakers, Sharma and Gambhir, urged the teachers to help in educating school students about the dos’ and donts’ of HIV/AIDS. Sharma said: ‘‘Our students deserve to be informed, guided and counselled over the dangers of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS.’’ Sharma said: ‘‘Teachers hold a unique responsibility as far as discussions with students is concerned. Workshops for teachers will be arranged to train them in the best possible manner, to enable them to educate children and others.’’ The workshop clearly stipulated that educators and parents must strive to overcome hesitation, nervousness and shyness as only this can enable them to safeguard the health of the next generation in the context of prevention of this dreaded virus.