Barbers to cut AIDS risk

[Guest guest]

Barbers to cut AIDS risk

Association Francoise-Xavier Bagnoud, a Swiss NGO working in

education and health, is roping them in its campaign against the

dreaded disease

PTI

New Delhi: Do not be surprised if on your next visit you are offered

some advice and books on AIDS in a hair-cutting saloon or a beauty

parlour.

Barbers are now taking up a new role of spreading awareness on AIDS.

Apart from explaining measures for prevention of AIDS, they will

also distribute books and condoms to promote safe sex.

Association Francoise-Xavier Bagnoud (AFXB), a Switzerland-based NGO

working in the education and health sectors in a number of

countries, including India, is roping in barbers in a big way in its

campaign against AIDS.

The prevalence of AIDS in India is on the rise. According to the

data collected by the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO),

there were about 5.134 million people infected with HIV by 2004. And

the United Nations estimates that the figure could be a lot more.

Nearly 1,11,600 AIDS cases had been detected in the country by July

2005, of which 4,854 are kids in the age group of 0-14.

A NACO survey says that sexual transmission is the main means for

spread of the disease, accounting for about 90 per cent of the

cases.

However, AFXB says that these figures are just the tip of an ice-

berg, as HIV testing is abysmally low in the country.

" The actual number of HIV/AIDS cases could be much more. Awareness

has to be increased, so that the vulnerable groups feel free to

test, " said Joe , AFXB's Regional Programme Advisor for Asia.

" The barbers are a community having wide public contact, in view of

their profession. And their work places are like a communication

hub. So, we are using them for our campaign, " says Joe ,

AFXB's Regional Programme Advisor for Asia.

AFXB was earlier concentrating on sensitising people about AIDS

prevention and awareness. Now the NGO is providing free condoms to

barbers for public distribution.

" The barbers are also counselling the customers for testing for

HIV, " he says.

This initiative, which is largely confined to urban areas, will be

taken to rural pockets this year, says.

" We want to make a comprehensive campaign creating a larger network

of barbers in urban and rural pockets, " he says. About 7,000 barbers

are associated with this programme across the country, about 200

from every state.

" We have a target to increase the number to 10,000 by next year.

Under this programme, barbers have educated about 2.8 lakh people

about AIDS, " he says. To scale up, the NGO is organising a

convention of Delhi barbers later this year. A similar convention

was recently organised in Srinagar.

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