BY V L Srinivasan
Published on March 21, 2006
HYDERABAD: Ignoring the diktat of the State Government, several key departments have not bothered to set up special HIV/AIDS cells to create awareness about the dreaded Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
The departments which were identified for the purpose included Women & Child Welfare, Youth Services, Panchayat Raj, Urban Development, Industries, Mining and Labour, Tourism, Education (Higher & School), Police, Revenue, Rural Development, Transport, Roads & Buildings, Irrigation, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Forestry, SC, BC, Tribal, Minority Welfare and Information.
However, only three departments, including Rural Development and Horticulture have complied with the directive.
We are planning to have a meeting with senior officials and Chief Secretary T K Dewan next week to ensure that the remaining departments also fall in line, officials of the Medical & Health Department told this website's newspaper.
Chairing a meeting in November last, Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy directed that special cells should be set up in each department and its heads were asked to communicate the names of senior officers appointed as nodal officers to the AP State AIDS Control Society.
In the meeting, Rajasekhara Reddy also wanted that either the principal secretary or secretary of the department concerned should review the action taken once in a month and the chief secretary once every quarter.
The meeting was also of the opinion that the response to fight the disease should not be limited to Medical & Health Department alone but should be multi-sectoral.
According to orders issued early this year by the Medical & Health Department, each department has to name a senior officer as nodal officer for its effective implementation.
Officials of these departments were expected to have a clear action plan for inclusion of HIV/AIDS as part of all their training, education, awareness and extension programmes but there is no response from them, sources said.
Sources said that the disease was posing a major challenge as it could wipe out all the gains made by the State in increasing the life expectancy and reducing morbidity and mortality among mothers, infants and youth.
While the population among the most productive age was being affected by the disease, it also led to increase in orphans and destitutes in the society.
Andhra Pradesh is second in the country after Maharashtra in the number of patients suffering from AIDS and the main reason for the growth of the epidemic is high prevalence of paid sex, vast network of national highways criss-crossing the State, high incidence of STDs, both among men and women, proportionately lower rates of consistent condom use and also because of migrant population.
Published on March 21, 2006
HYDERABAD: Ignoring the diktat of the State Government, several key departments have not bothered to set up special HIV/AIDS cells to create awareness about the dreaded Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
The departments which were identified for the purpose included Women & Child Welfare, Youth Services, Panchayat Raj, Urban Development, Industries, Mining and Labour, Tourism, Education (Higher & School), Police, Revenue, Rural Development, Transport, Roads & Buildings, Irrigation, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Forestry, SC, BC, Tribal, Minority Welfare and Information.
However, only three departments, including Rural Development and Horticulture have complied with the directive.
We are planning to have a meeting with senior officials and Chief Secretary T K Dewan next week to ensure that the remaining departments also fall in line, officials of the Medical & Health Department told this website's newspaper.
Chairing a meeting in November last, Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy directed that special cells should be set up in each department and its heads were asked to communicate the names of senior officers appointed as nodal officers to the AP State AIDS Control Society.
In the meeting, Rajasekhara Reddy also wanted that either the principal secretary or secretary of the department concerned should review the action taken once in a month and the chief secretary once every quarter.
The meeting was also of the opinion that the response to fight the disease should not be limited to Medical & Health Department alone but should be multi-sectoral.
According to orders issued early this year by the Medical & Health Department, each department has to name a senior officer as nodal officer for its effective implementation.
Officials of these departments were expected to have a clear action plan for inclusion of HIV/AIDS as part of all their training, education, awareness and extension programmes but there is no response from them, sources said.
Sources said that the disease was posing a major challenge as it could wipe out all the gains made by the State in increasing the life expectancy and reducing morbidity and mortality among mothers, infants and youth.
While the population among the most productive age was being affected by the disease, it also led to increase in orphans and destitutes in the society.
Andhra Pradesh is second in the country after Maharashtra in the number of patients suffering from AIDS and the main reason for the growth of the epidemic is high prevalence of paid sex, vast network of national highways criss-crossing the State, high incidence of STDs, both among men and women, proportionately lower rates of consistent condom use and also because of migrant population.
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