Rallies, meetings mark World AIDS Day

• HIV patients need morale support: SVIMS Director
• India stands third among all nations in HIV prevalence

Tirupati: Awareness rallies, human chains and meetings marked World AIDS Day in the district on Saturday. 

At a programme organised by Additional District Medical and Health Officer (AIDS and Leprosy) Dr C Aruna Sulochana Devi, a rally was organised in Tirupati in which students, ASHA workers, Medical and Health department staff and NGOs took part. 

They tried to bring awareness on this year’s theme ‘Know your Status’ among the public. They also held a human chain at Ruia Hospital and took oath that they will work for a society without HIV. 

DM&HO Dr B Ramagiddaiah, DCHS Dr Saralamma, SV Medical College Principal Dr G Ravi Prabhu, Ruia Hospital Superintendent Dr B Sidda Naik, Government Maternity Hospital Superintendent Dr V Bhavani, DEMO Dr Nirmalamma and others participated.
 
Students of Sri Padmavathi Medical College for Women (SPMCW), SVIMS Nursing College, College of Physiotherapy have organised an awareness rally from the Institute to Mahati Auditorium. 

Speaking on the occasion, the Director cum Vice-Chancellor Dr TS Ravikumar has said that it’s the duty of every human being to give morale boost to every HIV patient and entire SVIMS family will strive to achieve this goal. 

Prizes were distributed to the winners of various competitions held on the occasion. Dr Alok Sachan, Dr TC Kalavath, Dr Nagaraju, Dr Madhavi, Dr P Sudha Rani and others took part.

 Under the aegis of National Service Scheme (NSS), Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha (RSVP) observed World AIDS Day at the campus. 

The Professor of Medicine at SVIMS Dr Alladi Mohan addressed the young Sanskrit student community stating AIDS occurs only when male or female is prone with HIV positive virus, that too because of unnecessary sexual relations. 

India stands third in the world in HIV prevalence and within India, AP and Telangana are at 5th place. 

The government of India has been making all efforts to reduce the AIDS prone cases to 50 per cent by 2024. Registrar of Vidyapeetha, Prof GSR Krishnamurthy, Dr O Kalyan Sastry, Dr R Chandrasekhar, Dr V Ramesh Babu, Dr Jyothi, Dr Vijayalakshmi, Dr Leenachandra and students were present.