Lakhs counselled on AIDS, says Azad
By IANSWednesday, August 25, 2010
NEW DELHI - A total of 143 lakh people have been counselled on HIV/AIDS, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said Wednesday.
The minister was speaking at a meeting of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee to discuss the third phase of the National AIDS Control Programme (2007-12).
Azad said a significant chunk of the high risk groups such as truckers and migrants had been reached through targeted interventions, bringing down the prevalence of HIV in the southern states.
“A total of 143.8 lakh clients, including 61.2 lakh expecting mothers, were counselled across the country in 2009-10,” he said.
“In order to increase awareness, NACO launched the Red Ribbon Express on World AIDS Day. This is the largest mass mobilization campaign on HIV/AIDS in the world covering 152 stations in 22 states,” the minister said.
“The HIV epidemic has seen some stabilization as adult HIV prevalence is now estimated at 0.31 percent as compared to 0.36 percent in 2006,” he said.
