Army move to battle AIDS

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Army move to battle AIDS

Kumod Verma, [5 Nov, 2006 0207hrs IST TIMES NEWS NETWORK ]

DANAPUR: The Danapur Army Sub-Area headquarters of Bihar, Jharkhand

and Orissa, has launched a massive AIDS awareness campaign here

among jawans and their family members.

During the past several years it had been observed that several Army

jawans in particular were detected HIV positive.

The Sub-Area has thus decided to launch an AIDS awareness campaign

on priority basis among Army jawans and their family members at

Danapur Cantonment, said Sub Area spokesperson Col A P Pandey.

Lauding the role of the Army Wives' Welfare Association (AWWA) of

the Sub Area led by its president Ritu Vijeshwar, wife of the Sub

Area commander S K Vijeshwar, Col Pandey said members of the

association had been playing a pivotal role in creating awareness

among the jawans and their family members.

They are in touch with the family members of jawans and often visit

their houses with a team of doctors to educate them about the

disease and the preventive measures required to be taken, he said.

About 600 members of the AWWA are actively associated with this

campaign and other welfare works in these three states of the Sub

Area headquarters, Col Pandey said.

Screening of films based on AIDS awareness and health check-up camp

have been a part of the massive awareness campaign launched by the

Army officers' wives recently. Counselling at the personal level is

being held at the Danapur Cantonment especially for those who are

completely unaware of the disease.

Proper screening and blood tests were held at the Danapur Military

Hospital for all those visiting the hospital, Col Pandey said adding

unless full awareness is created among the jawans, the AIDS menace

could not be completely checked in the armed forces in the country.

Col Pandey said though the AIDS menace in the Indian armed forces

has not been alarming so far, two to three cases of HIV positive are

being reported at the Danapur Military Hospital each year.

However, these cases are mostly referred and directed ones since the

HIV positive-afflicted jawans belong to Bihar and they prefer

treatment here, he said.

Col Pandey admitted that a few cases of HIV positive among ex-

servicemen are also being referred to the Danapur Military Hospital

now-a-days for their proper treatment.

According to sources, jawans in the age group of 18 to 45 are

vulnerable to the disease

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