'AIDS awareness should not start and stop on Dec 1'

District Health Officer Dr Mallikarjun on Thursday said awareness against AIDS should not be restricted to December 1 which is observed as World AIDS Day.

Speaking at World AIDS Day programme organised at Government Mallegowda Hospital here, Mallikarjun said, “Awareness against the dreaded disease should be a continuous process on day-to-day basis. Those infected should take timely treatment as most people are ignorant about it.”

He said people have several misconceptions about the disease. “There is no harm in meeting or touching the HIV infected people as it is a non-communicable disease. The chances of infection are higly only in the cases of unprotected sex, using common syringes and also getting their blood.”

Dr Mallikarjun said the reason for more worry is that most women in the state and also the district are diagnosed with AIDS.

District Surgeon Kumar Nayak said parents and teachers have a key role to play in eduacating their children about AIDS. Most teenagers in the age group of 14 to 15 years are prone to HIV infection, he said. Earlier, students of various schools and colleges took out a rally from taluk office to the hospital.