Red Ribbon Express in Amethi

[Guest guest]

As reported by MEDIACOM Amethi, September 19: On the second day

of its stay at Amethi railway station, the Red Ribbon Express was greeted with

as much warmth as on the first day. People started trickling in to see the

innovative displays in the train and take part in the training sessions. In

fact, the counseling coach of RRE had the maximum number of people queuing up

for a word with the counselors as well as for getting themselves tested. Right

from the morning itself, when the train was thrown open to the public till the

evening, a steady string of people, mostly youngsters in the age group of 18-45

waited patiently for their turn to get an audience with the counselors.

The

training session was also a big success. Says Nirmal Pandey, deputy CEO of RRE

Uttar Pradesh and UPSACS coordinator for Greater Involvement of People Living

with AIDS (GIPA), “Interestingly, what is significant now is that even in

remote areas, people are becoming more and more aware of HIV/AIDS. We now must

graduate to the second level of helping them shed the misconceptions about

HIV/AIDS. The stigma that is attached with the virus must go so that people

become more confident and bold to reveal their positive status. Usually, the

social stigma of HIV positive is very traumatic for the people who have

contacted the virus as well as for their families. They are not only mentally

tortured but also ostracized by the society. This happens most with women who

are found HIV positive. Instantly, fingers regarding her character are raised.

And the worst part is that women themselves are the carriers of this ostracism

tirade. This has to be changed. And this can be best done by the ASHAs and

Anganwadi workers, who have access to every home in the locality. They must

spread the knowledge that AIDS is not contagious and that most women,

invariably, receive it from their husbands. This will help mitigate the fear

factor as well as hatred for HIV positive people.”

Counselor

on board RRE, Ajay Verma says that the main problem of the Sultanpur, Amethi

and Rae Bareli districts is migration. “There are as many as 110 HIV positive

cases in Lalganj block itself, with a 60:40 ration of males and females. And

the root cause of such a high incidence of the virus here is migration. Most of

the men here are migrant labourers or truck drivers and before they are aware

of their status, they pass it on to their spouses,” he says.

After

today's successful run, the RRE moves on to Rae Bareli on Monday.

Red Ribbon Express

AIDS ke viruddh, India ekjut

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For further details contact: Shirin Abbas

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Augustine Veliath,Communication SpecialistUNICEF Lucknow3/194, Vishal Khand, Gomti Nagar, Lucknow 226010Phone 91-522-4093311Phone 91-5222303151 to 56Phone 91 5224093151Fax 915222303158Fax 91 522 4093157email aveliath@...website www.unicef.inUNITE FOR CHILDREN