Red Ribbon express in Rajasthan

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CLOSE TO 50,000 PEOPLE REACHED OUT WITH HIV MESSAGES BY RED RIBBON

EXPRESS DURING ITS TEN-DAY JOURNEY THE CAMPAIGN GETS OVERWHELMING

RESPONSE

Few would think that there is anything connecting 16 year old Ashok

and 60 year old Keshar Bibi in two distant villages of Rajasthan. The

Red Ribbon Express is bringing together people from different

generations, social strata and mindsets towards creating a social

movement against HIV by dissemination of prevention messages and

adoption of healthy and safe behaviours. " I will now go and motivate

the women in my village to opt for hospital deliveries, " said an

enthused Keshar Bibi who attended one of the performances at

Kothputli village. Ashok at the same time is keen on gathering more

information about safer sexual practices to disseminate the

information among his peers in the village.

Close to 50,000 people have been directly reached out already by the

Red Ribbon Express Campaign in its ten day sojourn. Migrant workers,

youth, women, Panchayati Raj representatives, district level

officials have been touched by HIV prevention messages. During its

passage the campaign has completed a tour of four districts of

Rajasthan, including far flung villages that have been difficult to

reach with HIV information. The year long campaign was launched from

Delhi by UPA Chairperson, Smt. Gandhi in commemoration of World

AIDS Day on December 1.

While the train made halts at four stations in Rajasthan – Alwar,

Jaipur, Sawai Madhopur and Kota- getting an overwhelming response,

the bus has covered 27 block panchayats and the villages within these

blocks. Alongside, folk artists of the Song and Drama Division have

conducted 50 performances taking messages to far flung villages. The

cycle caravan, which travels with the train, has visited more than

200 villages holding nukkad shows aimed at dissemination of HIV

messages and adoption of healthy lifestyles.

Nearly 2,000 representatives from government departments in

Rajasthan, Panchayati Raj members, police, members of the self help

groups, non governmental organizations, opinion leaders and youth

have been sensitized and trained to create ground support and local

participation in the national HIV response. It is expected that these

people will take the leadership to carry the HIV messages into the

communities.

The Express will commence its journey in Madhya Pradesh from December

11, 2007. It will cover 11 stations in 10 districts of Madhya Pradesh

in three phases. In its first phase, it will cover Guna, Nagda,

Ratlam, Ujjain, Indore, Bhopal and Itarasi districts, before

proceeding to Nagpur in Maharashtra.

KR/SK- Redline Express-192

http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=33925