MUMBAI, NOVEMBER 27: The state government is set to launch a year-long AIDS awareness campaign involving 247 state labour welfare boards on International AIDS day, December 1 in collaboration with an non-governmental organisation (NGO) Indian Health Organisation.Addressing a press conference today, Minister of State for Labour and Housing Raj Purohit said that another week-long AIDS awareness campaign will be flagged off on December 1 with the immolation of an effigy of the AIDS virus in the form of the snake `Anaconda', expected to get instant recognition after the blockbuster Hollywood film.``Just like the snake Anaconda died in the movie, AIDS will also be wiped out, provided we are aware of it, that is the message we want to spread,'' said Dr I H Gilada, president of IHO. Dispelling the commonly held myth that AIDS spreads through touch, he reiterated that sex is the most common method for infection with a very small percentage of the victims getting the disease through contaminated needles or blood transfusion.The need for spreading AIDS awareness was also felt after it was observed that three per cent of the total labour force (2.5 lakh) in the city was found to be HIV positive, said Gilada. Elaborating, he said, ``Fifty per cent of these workers are skilled, and we fear that an entire generation would be wiped out because of it.'' He also noted that since skilled workers were less educated but earned more than unskilled labourers, they had more disposable income for spending on a colourful night life.Gilada, however, added that with the spread of AIDS in the city of Mumbai controlled, it stood eighth in the state of Maharashtra. Those districts galloping ahead are Sangli with 3.3 per cent of donors in blood banks testing positive, Satara (3.1), Kolhapur (2.8), Pune (2.7), Ahmednagar, Nashik, Thane (1.1 to 1.4), Latur, Aurangabad, Nagpur (1.6 to 1.7), Mumbai (1.6).The programme for the AIDS awareness campaign in Mumbai includes a star studded `AIDS march' with the AIDS Anaconda, on December 1 when an exhibition will be inaugurated at the Mumbai CST station and a similar exhibition at Churchgate the next day. There will be a talk on AIDS at the Western Railway workshops at Bombay Central and Mahalaxmi, on December 3 with a similar one at Parel, Bandra and Borivli workshops on December 4. Street plays on AIDS awareness will be held on December 5 while the burning of the AIDS Anaconda will be held on December 6.
