XIM, Bhubaneswar Helps to Increase AIDS Awareness with OSACS

XIM, Bhubaneswar Helps to Increase AIDS Awareness with OSACS

On the 1st of December 2008, on the occasion of World AIDS Day, the Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar (XIMB) hosted a programme in collaboration with the Orissa State AIDS Control Society (OSACS) in order to promote awareness against AIDS and the HIV virus.

Mr. Parmeshwaran Swain, Project Director - OSACS, was the chief guest for the occasion.

The programme was opened by Prof. S. Peppin, Joint Co-ordinator of XIMB STRC, who gave a brief introduction to the Leadership & Managerial Proficiency Programme (LAMP) which was conducted by XIMB, in collaboration with the UNDP. He also paid homage to four pass-outs of the programme who had since succumbed to the deadly HIV virus.

Ms. Niharika Sahoo from XIMB's STRC then gave the audience a brief introduction to AIDS and the HIV virus. She explained the various modes of transmission of the virus, and also tried to dispel some of the myths regarding the spread of AIDS. She said that in the present scenario, out of 32.2 Million HIV infected people in the world, 2.5 Million were from India, as of 2006. She also said that around 25% of the infected population was within the 15-29 years age group. Ms. Sahoo stressed the need to treat HIV infected people normally. She said that by their own admission, it is the discrimination that kills the patients faster than the virus itself!

Mr. Parmeshwaran Swain, Project Director - OSACS, Delivering Lecture on AIDS at XIM, Bhubaneswar

Mr. Parmeshwaran Swain then delivered the chief guest's address. He reminded the audience of theme for World AIDS Day - lead, empower, deliver - and urged the students to take the theme to heart. He said that although the prevalence of AIDS in the State of Orissa is down to 0.22%, as opposed to the national average of 0.36%, we need to make further efforts in order to curb the spread of this dreaded disease. He pointed out that AIDS is more a social issue than a health issue. He then described the efforts made by OSACS to mainstream AIDS prevention efforts through partnership with UNICEF for prevention of parent to child disease transmission. He also briefed the audience about OSACS' partnership with XIM-B for setting up the State Research & Training Centre (STRC).

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Contributed by -
Madhukar Subramanian,
Coordinator, IlluminatiX,
Media & PR Cell,
Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar.

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