Towards AIDS Free Chandigarh - AIDSCON 2011
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“Towards AIDS Free Chandigarh-AIDSCON 2011”
World AIDS Day, December 1st, 2011
With the aim to gather together and consolidate the extensive research
and evaluations on HIV/AIDS being done by various academic and public
functionaries, Chandigarh State AIDS Control Society observed World
AIDS Day 2011 by organizing a two day conference, “AIDSCON 2011” on 1,
2 Dec 2011. This conference is being held in the Advanced Pediatric
Center of PGIMER and was inaugurated by Shri D K Tiwari IAS, Secretary
Health, Chandigarh Administration.
In his inaugural address, Shri Tiwari, motivated the audience in the
packed hall to involve the public sector in all their Public Health
Programmes as a major chunk of the community visits the private health
clinics which also should recognize their social responsibilities. He
also congratulated the Chandigarh State AIDS Control Society for the
dedicated efforts which has brought down the HIV prevalence in the
Union Territory. He emphasized on the importance of following ethical
guidelines in all activities related to people living with HIV/AIDS.
The Guest of Honor, Dr Chander Mohan, Director Health Services, UT,
Chandigarh highlighted the message for World AIDS Day 2011 which
targets achieving Zero new infection, Zero Stigma, Zero
Discrimination. He announced that the integration amongst the various
National Health Programmes in Chandigarh was exemplary. The AIDS
control Programme works in total integration with NRHM, RCH, RNTCP.
Dr Vanita Gupta, Project Director, Chandigarh SACS presented the HIV/
AIDS Scenario of the region to the audience. She displayed a series of
colored graphs which explained clearly the declining HIV prevalence in
UT, Chandigarh. She emphasized the need for constant vigil for
monitoring the High Risk Population, who have a habit of moving
between states. The declining HIV prevalence in the age group 15-24
years is a clear indicator of the low new HIV infection in the future.
The 0.25% prevalence of HIV in the ANC clinics detected through PPTCT
centers and Sentinel Surveillance along with 0.09 % of HIV positivity
in Blood Banks reinforce the fact that Chandigarh has a low and
declining prevalence of HIV.
A state of the art, Blood Mobile Van was launched on this occasion.
The demand in Chandigarh of 80,000 units of Blood is being met through
90% Voluntary Blood Donation, the best in the country. Dr Neelam
Marwaha, Prof & Head, Department of Transfusion Medicine, PGIMER,
Chandigarh explained that the Blood Mobile Van would be placed at
market places, Shopping malls, office areas where willing donors can
easily avail of this excellent facility to donate blood. With this, we
hope to achieve 100% collection of blood through voluntary donation.
The scientific sessions on Day 1 of the conference deliberated on
issues related to Blood Safety, Epidemiology and Surveillance, Care,
Support and Treatment and Socio- Medico legal issues.
The conference will come up with recommendations and resolutions at
the end of the second day which will be submitted to the policy
makers.
Project Director
CSACS