BANGALORE: The government plans to focus on to reducing vulnerability to HIV/AIDS among the migrant population of the state.
In order to create awareness, understanding and support on HIV among the migrant population, the Ministry of Labour and Employment has rolled out a programme to address them.
The programme has been introduced in Bagalkot, Belgaum, Bijapur and Ramanagaram.
World AIDS Day is on December 1 it aims to raise awareness, tackle HIV prejudice and help stop the spread of HIV and the theme for the decade is "Stop AIDS: Keep the promise" and under this broad banner the subthemes for 2009 and 2010 are Universal Access and Human Rights and HIV and Youths.
This programme will create awareness about treatment availability, ART accessibility, condom availability, etc. to the migrant population.
The programme aims to spread awareness at destination points.
HIV status in Karnataka
The KSAPS has revealed that according to the HIV Sentinel Surveillance (HSS) and NFHSIII findings, there are 2.5 lakh estimated people living with HIVs (PLHIV) in the state and it amounts to 11 per cent of the total PLHIVs in the country.
The main reasons for the declining prevalence may be attributed to increase in condom usage for safe sexual practices among High Risk Groups, increase in STI service provision and uptake, increase in testing of pregnant women under the Prevention of parent to child, transmission and administration of Niverapine to prevent transmission to the child.
The KSAPS has also come up with a tollfree telephone service for the people who seek information on HV/AIDS. Even telephone counselling is provided to as per the required caller. Toll free No. 1097 is operational through India under the support of NACO. Three more toll free numbers are operational in Karnataka that are supported by KSAPS. They are at Davangere, Belgaum and Dharwad.