AIDS Awareness workshop at WWICS

AIDS Awareness workshop at WWICS

Mohali, March 13: A one-day workshop on AIDS Awareness was organized by WWICS in association with Fortis Hospital and TriCity Calling Magazine, at WWICS Head Quarters here today.
In his welcome address, Col. B.S. Sandhu, CMD WWICS enumerated ways for creating mass awareness about HIV/AIDS particularly in urban areas. The awareness programs and extensive interactions would go a long way in motivating masses to adopt preventive measures for keeping a check on the spread of this dreaded disease. Dr.G.Munjal-Editor-Tri City Calling, Dr Anita Sharma, Head, Lab Medicine, Fortis Hospital Mohali, Dr Manmeet Mann, Media & Communications, Fortis Hospital Mohali imparted expert guidance.

Dr Anita Sharma, from Fortis Hospital said, “Infection with HIV is occurring in all continents, but the major foci are in Sub Saharan Africa, Latin America and South & South East Asia.

She added that “HIV leads to AIDS, a major public health problem, which is likely to grow in future. The virus can be transmitted by sexual contact, sharing of infected needles in Intravenous drug users, administration of infected blood, and from infected mothers to their infants. It is primarily a disease involving young people due to its sexual mode of transmission .Consequently it has very grave implications not only for the persons affected but also for the nation’s economy as the most productive years in one’s life are lost due to the disease”.

Dr Kamal Dua, Lab Medicine, Fortis Hospital opined that “the disease is also associated with a lot of social stigma & discrimination that makes it difficult for people to live with this disease. In developing countries there is another aspect to this epidemic called as feminization of the epidemic where women are the silent sufferers due to the low status accorded to women in the society.”

She added that “the disease is totally preventable. Also a person with HIV can live a normal productive life with the help of medicines & care & support of family & friends. The need of the hour is to become aware and educated about the disease, the risk factors associated with it, behavior that promotes its spread and various myths & misconceptions associated with it. By spreading the word about the virus and empowering people with the knowledge about the disease & its prevention, the epidemic can not only be stabilized but controlled also.”

More that 200 CIIS students and 100 WWICS employees participated in AIDS Awreness Slogan Competition as well as the Quiz conducted by the doctor in the workshop.