Kochi ODI to spread AIDS awareness

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Kochi ODI to spread Aids awareness

Kochi, April 5: Indian and England cricket players, who will be

fighting tooth and nail in the fourth one-dayer here tomorrow, will

be using the cricketing platform to spread the message of HIV/Aids

awareness.

The two teams would be wearing red arm bands to express solidarity

with the victims of HIV/Aids in Kerala.

When the Indian captain Rahul Dravid and his England counterpart,

Flintoff, take the toss tomorrow morning, they would be

accompanied by two HIV positive children--Vidya and Chitra,

according to the Kerala State Aids Control society (KSACS).

During the lunch break, anti-HIV/AIDS theme songs would be played at

the stadium, KSACS Programme Officer, Ajay Kumar said.

The programme's aim is to reduce the stigma and discrimination to

the HIV postive and Aids victims, he said.

According to the latest 'sentinel surveillance report' of the KSACS,

there are about one lakh HIV positive people in the state. A total

of 2003 Aids patients are taking Anti-Retroviral drugs from the

state system, he said.

The Kerala Cricket Association is also coordinating with the society

for tomorrow's programme. (Agencies)

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