Title - Red Ribbon Express for city next month

Red Ribbon Express, the Indian Railways' campaign on wheels to create awareness on HIV/AIDS, will arrive in the city on June 16. The train will be in the city on June 16 and 17.Red Ribbon Express, a joint initiative of Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), and Nehru Yuva Kendra, was launched in 2007. It was flagged off on National Youth Day, June 12, in New Delhi.At a meeting on the arrangements, in charge Joint Collector D.V. Reddy said the district officials concerned should take steps to ensure that youth, students, self-help group members, anganwadi workers and youth associations visited the train in general and students of medicine and nursing and Medical and Health staff in particular.While the Railways will provide the train a platform to halt, GVMC should take care of sanitation and provide drinking water.NCC and NSS units will deploy volunteers.Rotary and Lions Clubs have been asked to chip in with supply of water and snacks. Red Ribbon Express Coordinator Daman Ahuja said four coaches of the train would provide information on HIV/AIDS, malaria, and TB. Training would be conducted in the fifth coach and tests and treatment in the sixth.Seventh and eighth coaches accommodate the staff and administrative unit.

During its last two trips, 80 lakh people visited the express, 81,000 were trained and 36,000 treated.

DRDA Project Director M. Maheswara Reddy, DM&HO G. Savitri, Additional SP Y. Prembabu, ICDS Project Director S. Vidyavati, Red Cross coordinator Ramamohan Rao, District TB Control Officer Sasidhar Kumar, deputy DEO V. Madhusudhana Rao, District Youth Welfare Officer Appa Rao, NCC and NSS representatives and Railway officials participated.