Salvation Army to spread HIV/AIDS awareness in NE

Aizawl – The triennial youth Congress of the Eastern India Territory of the Salvation Army (SA), which concluded in Kolasib, Mizoram, recently, has resolved to launch HIV/AIDS awareness campaign in co–ordination with the Salvation Army's Community Health Action Network (CHAN).

A 5000–strong delegation from Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Assam, North Bengal, Nagaland, Sikkim Delhi and Kolkata participated in the three–day programme.
The awareness campaign will be targeting the youth of the northeast states of India who are most susceptible to the fatal disease due to high percentage of drug abuse.

Globally, India is second only to South Africa in terms of the overall number of people living with the dreaded disease.

The spread of HIV in India has been diverse, with much of India having a low rate of infection and the epidemic being most extreme in the southern half of the country and in the far northeast. The highest HIV prevalence rates are found in Maharashtra in the west; Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka in the south; and Manipur and Nagaland in the northeast.