New Delhi (The Hawk): On the occasion of World AIDS Day on Thursday, Union Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar advocated for expanding social inclusion and employing a multi-sectoral strategy to combat HIV.
According to Pawar, it is important to harness creativity through the work of youth groups created in colleges and institutions as well as civil society organisations.
Red ribbon clubs are also essential, and they may be used to raise a lot of awareness because there are more than 12,500 of them.
More than 3,000 individuals, representing states, PLHIV communities, NGOs, CSOs, development partners, and youth, participated in a programme she virtually inaugurated at Talkatora Stadium in honour of World AIDS Day.
"Since 1988, December 1 has been designated as World AIDS Day, which provides an opportunity to show support for and raise awareness of HIV-positive individuals (PLHIV). This year's World AIDS Day has the tagline "Equalize," which is a call to action for everyone involved in this campaign. It urges taking the necessary practical measures to resolve disparities in the populations across the nation that are infected with HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Viruses) and impacted by it, as well as to help put a stop to AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) "In her video message, she stated.
Pawar reaffirmed the government's dedication to enhancing the response to HIV/AIDS and STDs (Sexually Transmitted Diseases) under the direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
A national AIDS toll-free helpline, lifetime free ART services, and routine viral load monitoring for PLHIV are a few of the actions. Dr. Pawar also emphasised the need to lessen prejudice against the impacted population. The government has announced a "HIV & AIDS policy for establishments 2022" in this regard.
(Inputs from Agencies)