Bihar MPs to take AIDS test

August 12, 2003

Friday August 8 2003 00:00 IST

Bihar MPs set a trend, agree to AIDS test

IANS

PATNA: Forget about crime, corruption and caste-class chasms, Bihar's

legislators are giving the people a real reason to be proud of them.

They will probably become the world's first elected representatives

of the people to be tested for AIDS in an awareness campaign.

" Bihar's ministers and legislators have agreed to be tested for AIDS

to create awareness about the deadly disease. This will be the first

time, not only in India but in the world, that people's

representatives would participate in an AIDS test like this, " said

Tarun Kumar of Helping Hand Foundation, an NGO.

The New Delhi based organisation would conduct its awareness campaign

in October. Bihar Health Minister Shakuni Chaudhary would inaugurate

the event on October 1.

Kumar said the state's legislators and ministers had agreed to the

unusual step to take the message of the campaign to the people.

He said the move would be very effective as legislators had a direct

link with people at all levels, in the cities and in the remotest

villages. It would send a strong message about the dangers of the

deadly disease to the people.

The activist said legislators were a strong link between the

government and the people. Their collective participation would help

check the spread of AIDS in a country like India.

Bihar has another first to its credit.

It became the first Indian state last year to make it mandatory for

all new HIV/AIDS cases to be reported to the government.

The state is showing an alarming increase in HIV/AIDS cases, with

migrant labourers and truck drivers being the major vectors of the

disease. By the end of May this year, the total number of HIV/AIDS

cases crossed 2,500 as against only 1,200 till September last year.

According to official records, there are 143 full-blown AIDS cases in

the state. Till date, eight AIDS patients are said to have died in

the state.

Though Bihar is behind developed states like Maharashtra, Andhra

Pradesh and Tamil Nadu in the number of HIV/AIDS cases, health

officials said the increase in cases recorded during the last six

months was an alarming trend.

newindiaexpress.com

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