Ongole: The Prakasam District Medical and Health Department launched an intensive Information, Education and Communication (IEC) campaign on HIV/AIDS awareness and drug prevention, coinciding with National Youth Day as part of the District Integrated Strategy for HIV/AIDS (DISHA).

District Medical and Health Officer Dr T Venkateswarlu, along with District Leprosy AIDS & TB Control Officer Dr B Srivani, released awareness posters and flagged off a rally as part of the Andhra Pradesh State AIDS Control Society’s directive.

The DMHO said that the two-month campaign will follow a weekly thematic approach covering eight themes across 200 villages, 400 schools, 86 colleges, and door-to-door visits to 700 households throughout the district.

Dr Srivani emphasised that the medical and health department, in collaboration with NGOs, will conduct extensive field-level awareness programmes focusing on drug abuse prevention and HIV prevention/control among youth. Cluster Programme Manager Kiran Panditi highlighted that the campaign aims to encourage voluntary HIV screening at government hospitals and educate people about rights under the HIV/AIDS Act 2017, promoting non-discriminatory attitudes toward people living with HIV.

Several AIDS Prevention and Control Unit officers, programme managers, and programme officers from target intervention NGOs, nursing school staff, and students participated.