The event was organised by National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) at Dr BR Ambedkar International Center, New Delhi
Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar, Minister of State, Health & Family Welfare chaired the World AIDS Day celebration along with Shri Rajesh Bhushan, Secretary, Health & Family Welfare. The event was organised by National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) at Dr BR Ambedkar International Center, New Delhi.
Aligning with the theme of World AIDS Day 2021 ‘End Inequalities. End AIDS. End Pandemics,’ the Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare emphasised the need to focus and tackle gender inequalities, discrimination against the high-risk groups, inequalities invoice, income inequality and work on to provide social protection to the infected and affected population. She said, “For ensuring Jan Swasthya, it’s important to collate our efforts strategically for achieving our goals by leaving no one behind as desired by Sustainable Development Goals.”
Remembering the history of HIV AIDS, Dr Pawar said, “As you all know, the first case of HIV in India was identified in the year 1986 among female sex workers in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. In the same year, the Government of India established the National AIDS Committee under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Thereafter, in 1992, the government established the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) to oversee policies related to HIV and AIDS, to oversee prevention and control programmes and to implement the National AIDS Control Program (NACP).”
“Since then NACP has been implemented in India as a comprehensive program for prevention and control of HIV/AIDS. The programme has been extremely commendable and has achieved success at the world level. Friends, I am proud to share that during NACP-IV, policymakers and program workers from over 20 countries have visited NACO and its implementation sites to learn from our programmes,” she further added.
Dr Pawar also interacted with the students from across the country and discussed with them the activities undertaken through Red Ribbon Clubs in their respective institutions and areas.
PIB
