14 July:A first-ever conference to spread awareness about AIDS among the country’s men in uniform was held recently in Itanagar in which police personnel were shown a film on the dreaded disease.
‘Sabdhan’, jointly produced by BSF and UNAIDS, was shown in the conference held on 1st July.The Union Home Ministry is organising more such events at regional and national levels to reach out to 26 lakh policemen in the country.
"Efforts are on to make policemen a medium for propagation to fight HIV/AIDS with more focus on behavioural change along with creating awareness about little steps which could prevent spread of dreaded disease," UNAIDS country co-ordinator Ranjan Dwivedi said.
The film depicts how a BSF doctor brings back hope in the life of a jawan who unknowingly acquired HIV infection during his long stay away from home.The jawan, on learning about his infection during a test done before donating blood to an injured colleague, gets worried that his expecting wife has contracted with the disease.
However, he becomes happy on learning from a BSF doctor that a medical cure is possible.His wife takes the medicines during pregnancy and the new-born is saved.
"Policemen deal with prostitutes and accident victims and their help is often sought by NGOs working among sex workers and others and unless they themselves are sensitised, they cannot be of any help to the NGOs," Dwivedi said.
The UNAIDS has suggested to the Union Home Ministry that maintaining personal health record of police personnel could improve the individual health status among the force by 70 per cent at almost no extra cost.DD NEWS