Title - Red Ribbon Express in city

The third edition of the Red Ribbon Express-2012, aimed at spreading awareness on HIV/AIDS among the youth, was inaugurated here at Secunderabad railway station (Borabanda side) Monday. The train displays plenty of information on projects related to HIV/AIDS being run up by the State and Central government. The officials are hoping that close to 40,000 students will visit the express on June 4 and 5.The Red Ribbon Express has several exhibition coaches that have interactive games on touch screen, short videos on HIV, posters and other publicity material aimed at the youth. “There is a definite pattern of decrease in the incidence of HIV/AIDS in our State. The Red Ribbon Express will go a long way in spreading awareness among the youth,” said Chief Secretary, Pankaj Dwivedi after officially inaugurating it. HIV/AIDS related projects taken up by Andhra Pradesh State Aids Control Society (APSACS), National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), pre-recorded voices explaining various aspects of HIV/AIDS over phone, touch screen games on HIV and various other displays on HIV are part of the Red Ribbon Express.The Red Ribbon Express will stay at Secunderabad till Tuesday, June 5 and then proceed towards Adilabad, Kazipet, Mahabubnagar, Nalgonda, Guntur and Visakhapatnam.Principal Secretary, Health, Medical and Family Welfare, K. R. Kishore, Hyderabad Collector Natarajan Gulzar, top authorities from railways and National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) were present.