Chandigarh: Media Advocacy Workshop on Red Ribbon Express Held

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Media Advocacy Workshop on Red Ribbon Express Held

Oct 25th, 2008 | By News Team | Category: Chandigarh, Health

Chandigarh,Sandeep Juneja, October 25 :Advocacy Workshop on Red Ribbon

Express was held at Commonwealth Youth Asia Centre, workshop commenced

at 3.00 pm here at CYP in Sector 12, Chandigarh. All the media persons

and members of implementing organizations from Rajiv Gandhi

Foundation, NACO, and NYKS were present on the occasion.

The conference-cum-workshop started at the arrival of Sh. Satish Chandra (IAS)

and he was received by Sh. J.S. Kooner. Sh. Satish Chandra (IAS) Secretary

Health-cum-Project Director, addressed the media and attendees and responded to

their queries regarding the project.

He was accompanied by Deputy Project Director Dr. N.M. Sharma; Sh. Sukhdev

Singh, Deputy Director, NYKS; Dr. G.S. Bajwa, Distt. Youth

Coordinator, NYKS, Chandigarh, and other honorable guests. Questions

were coming all over from media and all dignitaries were answering

them very politely.

Answering one of the question Sh. Satish Chandra said that NGOs have a

major role in the overall scenario in fighting with AIDS. And at

present there are 21 NGOs working with them on approximately 24

different AIDS/HIV projects. They are coving the general population.

He also added that there were 2100 HIV/AIDS cases in 2006; 45 cases in

2007; and 2600 cases so far till September 2008 have been registered

with them.

Briefing about the Red Ribbon Express train he told that there will be

7 coaches in the train. In the fourth coach there will be 2 male

doctors, 2 female doctors, and 2 senior doctors will be available for

consultancy to the visitors. There will be HIV/AIDS tests conducted.

Dr. Avnish Jolly who has been associated with this AIDS Awearness

campaign said that it's a fight for life for him. He has dedicated his

life for HIV/AIDs patients. He said HIV/AIDs can be treated but cannot

be cured and he always has aspired to work for the families of

HIV/AIDs patients. He appreciated Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, NACO, and

NYKS for starting this kind of initiative to bring awareness to the

people of India

Giving a summary of this project Sh. J. S. Kooner told us that the Red

Ribbon Express Project, conceptualized by Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, is

being implemented by NACO as a multi-sectoral project to spread

awareness on HIV/AIDS and promote safe behavioral practices. It is a

National Campaign to mainstream the issue of HIV/AIDS through a train

that will traverse over programmes and activities in 43,200 villages.

The concept is a broad based multimedia, multi-sectoral mass

mobilization project in the country to make it a holistic and

comprehensive campaign to mobilize people's movement against HIV/AIDS.

He also told us that the Express train will reach Punjab by 27th of

October, 2008 in Bathinda. This will be its fourth phase and first

destination in Punjab. Crossing Bathinda it will reach Fazilka, then

Ferozepur, Jalandhar, Pathankot, Amritsar and finally in Chandigarh.

In all of these destinations the train will show the exhibition

displayed in it's 7 coaches. Also, the artists will perform several

AIDS awareness plays in 24 villages of each city. Village Pachayati

Raj Institutions (PRIs) have been informed of the dates of arrival of

this train. They will further coordinate with youth clubs, anganwari

workers, and health workers in their areas.

It will be responsibility of PRIs to gather people for nukkad plays to

aware people of HIV/AIDS. There will be free Advice Centers (Salaah

Kendras) in the train itself. And, he added that we have provided

consultation with doctors at no cost. So he advised that the maximum

people could benefit from this campaign will be a success of this event.

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