Italy to help India fight AIDS, drug menace

April 28, 2008

Calcutta News.Net, Friday 25th April, 2008 (IANS)

Italy will provide financial assistance to fight HIV/AIDS and drug

addiction in Tripura, Punjab and Tamil Nadu, an Italian official said

here Friday.

'The Italian government has decided to provide Rs.30 million through

the Red Cross societies of India and Italy to deal with AIDS, drug

addiction, tuberculosis, malaria, water borne disease, various public

health problems and disaster management,' said Armellini,

Italian ambassador to India.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been signed between the Red

Cross Societies of India and Italy to implement this one year long

project, beginning next month.

'Drug abuse has become a major challenge in Southeast Asia and it

does not recognize borders,' Armellini told journalists.

'Students, professionals, vehicle workers, and army and para-military

troopers are the target group of this project,' said Matteo Ciarli,

country coordinator of the Italian Red Cross.

Armellini said: 'India and Italy have done business worth $6.5

billion during last year and the former is in the advantageous side

in doing the business.'

'Both the countries are doing business in automobiles, fertilizers,

leather, chemicals, information technology and food processing

sectors,' he said.

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