Title - AIDS awareness campaign train wheels into Angul railway station

Angul: The Red Ribbon Express (RRE) chugged into Angul on Monday for a two-day halt and received a warm welcome from the people and the administration here.

Students went round the coaches of the HIV/AIDS awareness campaign train of the Indian Railways and showed keenness to learn about various aspects, prevention and treatment of the disease. Youths from the district, besides NGO activists, various government employees, members of self-help groups, also visited the train.

Sasmita Sahoo, a student of Nehru Centenary Central Hospital, Talcher, said, "I had heard about the Red Ribbon Express but I had never seen it earlier. I am lucky I got a chance to see the RRE and was able to learn the about reasons behind HIV/AIDS and about precautionary measures to keep the disease at bay."

Angul has the second highest number of AIDS patients and mortality rate due to the dreaded disease in the state. Altogether 96 persons have died and 826 persons have tested AIDS positive in the district so far.

Dr Bichhanda Chandra Pradhan, chief district medical officer was hopeful the RRE will have a positive impact on the people of the district. On the occasion of the special train reaching Angul, a meeting was held at Angul railway station to discuss the AIDS situation in the district. The meet was attended by Dhenkanal MP Tathagata Satapathy, district collector Siba Prsada Mishra, sub-collector Sudarshana Parida, chief district medical officer Bichhanda Chandra Pradhan and other state government officials.

Dr Daman Ahuja, chief executive of RRE told TNN: "The RRE has six coaches and was flagged off in New Delhi as part of its campaign against the HIV/AIDS. The RRE has covered a total of 78 railway stations in 10 states till now in the country." He said a total of 30 lakh people have visited the train and were appraised of the disease and its remedy. The train is travelling through 23 states with an objective of creating awareness about HIV/AIDS and other communicable diseases like tuberculosis and malaria, he said.

The coaches display information about bio-medical aspects of HIV/AIDS, including interactive touch screens, educational material with focus on stigma and discrimination free communities, information on general health and communicable diseases.

The first coach of the train is reserved for educating visitors on HIV/AIDS and to disseminate information about preventive measures. The second coach offers treatment facilities while the third one is for sensitizing youth about the disease. The fourth coach is dedicated to information about general diseases like tuberculosis and malaria and the fifth coach provides training to health workers. In the sixth coach there are facilities to provide treatment and counseling of patients and relatives.

Ahuja said RRE's target is to create awareness about the disease especially among the youth and women as one-third of the HIV/AIDS patients are from this demographic section. A total of 23 lakh people are found to be carrying the virus in the country at present, he pointed out.