Chennai NGO drafts world's smallest AIDS awareness messages

September 25, 2004

Asian News International

Chennai, September 25

Chennai's Indian Community Welfare Organisation (ICWO), a

non-government organisation, has probably coming out with a first, the

world's smallest AIDS awareness message.

Three short messages -- " Use condoms, stop AIDS " " We care for people

living with AIDS " and " Lets join hands to fight AIDS " --were drafted

on the miniscule rice, wheat, groundnut and other cereals.

AS Hariharan, the secretary of the ICWO, said: " The main objective is

to create awareness among public and make them aware about the topic,

gather and disperse information to the doorsteps and the media and to

remove the stigma associated with it. " The organisation is also giving

a helping hand to the city's sex workers.

" When people come and watch this it will have a better effect as this

will stay in their mind for a longer period of time, " said Rajesh, a

homosexual.

India currently has over 5.1 million people living with HIV/AIDS, the

second largest number outside South Africa, and experts say the number

of people contracting full-blown AIDS could touch 5.5 million by 2033

as the disease spreads to the countryside and among married women.

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