New HIV awareness programme through local bodies

Lakmini Rodrigo

COLOMBO:A new Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunedeficiency Syndrome HIV/AIDS prevention programme in collaboration with all newly elected local government bodies will commence tomorrow.

Nearly 3,200 recently elected local government authorities will be co-opted into the programme. The programme will cover all Municipal Councils, Town Councils and Pradeshiya Sabha Authorities .

The first programme will be held at the Badulla Kachcheri for all Badulla District local bodies.

Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said the programme would mainly focus on obtaining local government authorities' support to alleviate the stigma and discrimination attached to HIV patients.

The Health Ministry had previously carried out similar programmes to raise awareness among Provincial Council authorities which had proven to be successful, he added.

Observing how, in countries like Thailand where HIV and AIDS have become major issues, HIV positive cases are accepted by society and allowed to lead a normal life, the Minister said it was time for people to stop looking down on HIV patients in Sri Lanka as well.

"In Thailand there are special institutions for well-being of HIV positive patients. Patients also have facilities to undergo proper counselling and are allowed to mingle with the rest of the public normally. This should be introduced to Sri Lanka as marginalising patients make them hide from the world and not seek proper treatment, thereby leading to the spread of the disease," de Silva said.

He added that the World Bank funded 'National HIV/STD (Sexually Transmitted Diseases) Control Programme functioning under the Health Ministry, which would be in implementation till 2008, had carried out many awareness programmes around the country to enlighten the public about the disease.

The Minister expressed optimism that the programme would result in the control of the disease and arrest its spread in the country by 2008.