Inkeshaf Ahmed
With the objective to identify the total number of AIDS patients, the Andhra Pradesh state government has decided to launch a special program across all districts of the state.

The program will be formally launched on June 15. Christened as “Know your HIV status” the program will be implemented extensively across the state.

The authorities of the health department have prepared a questionnaire consisting of six questions. These questions are aimed at finding out whether the person being questioned has contracted HIV through any means. The questionnaire will have questions like ‘ Have you ever had sex with anybody other than your wife? ‘Have you ever had sex without condom?’  ‘Have you ever contracted Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD)?’  Have you ever exchanged injections or other surgical equipment with anybody else? Or, have you ever been administered with unsafe blood transmission?’ And, have you ever had sex after consuming drugs or alcohol?

The questionnaire will be handed over to the people of the state residing in already identified areas or areas which are very prone to the contraction of HIV. The people will have to answer the questions on their own by ticking right mark on the choice of answer that apply to them. If the authorities get three yes from an individual in the Questionnaire, such people will be selected for HIV screening examinations.  

The state Government conducted a similar campaign in the past and identified the HIV positive HIV patients. The patients so identified are being treated by the state Government. The HIV positive  patients who are being treated by the authorities are leading a healthy life now. They are being given ART medicines free of cost by the state government  at regular intervals.  

The state government has also decided to hold a massive promotional campaign to make its initiative a grand success in the state “We have decided to undertake a blitzkrieg promotional campaign to carry out our proposed program successfully. A decision was taken to this effect during the 5th state level executive meeting of AP State Aids Control Society (APSACS). We will soon launch our promotional and publicity campaign,” the joint director of the society Dr. Rajendra Prasad told this Correspondent.

The meeting has also took up a discussion on problems being faced by the AIDS patients in obtaining their ART medicines in a holistic manner. It has been decided to supply the medicines to the patients at all Community Health Centers of the state. The objective behind supplying the medicines through the community health centers is to prevent the problems being faced by the HIV infected patients.