Need to sensitise adolescents about HIV/AIDS: Sibal

Updated on: Tuesday, March 01, 2011

HRD Minister Kapil Sibal said there was a need to sensitise adolescents about the effects of HIV/AIDS which "overtakes" them "silently" and it could be achieved only through a change in the attitude of the society.
Sibal also regretted that the issue of creating awareness about prevention of HIV/AIDS among the people is not being addressed as seriously it should be.

"Apparently we seem to be not concerned about HIV/AIDS as we were two to three years back. I think that is very sad. I don't think that people realise the silent way in which this disease overtakes adolescents...without people knowing about it," he said.

Sibal was addressing a seminar on 'Learning and Developmental Needs of Out of School Adolescents' here organised by UNESCO and Plan India.

The Minister said there was a big debate about the number of people being affected by HIV/AIDS three years back and there were awareness campaigns across the country. But, this is not the case now.

However, he said the National Aids Control Organisation (NACO) has been doing "very good work" on creating awareness. But more should be done and organisations like UNESCO can collaborate with NACO to sensitise students
about the effects of the dreaded disease, he said.

"We have not been addressing the issue as seriously as we should be doing...We need to change societal attitude. The moment we talk about giving information on HIV/AIDS to people, some say it is sex education and may controversial issues
arise," he said.

In this context, "We should change the mindset of the people. We should address the issue far more seriously and it can be done through communication..... media can be part of this campaign," Sibal said.

India has the world's third-largest population suffering from HIV/AIDS, but the estimated number has declined drastically in recent years -- from 5.5 million in 2005 to below 2.5 million in 2007.

The HRD Minister said adolescents' problems differ, qualitatively according to whether they are from rural or urban areas, various class backgrounds and gender.

"We need multiple solutions for their multiple problems. Education is the key to address these problems. Schools can provide the common platform to address these
problems, hence teacher will be central in reaching out to children," he said.

Sibal said teacher training curriculum should include mapping of problems of adolescents and addressing them.

Noting that communication can play a big role in reaching out to students as panchayats and schools will be connected with fibre optics, Sibal said organisations like Plan and UNESCO can play a big role in leading development of software.

Sibal said the focus should be on empowering girls, especially as they are excluded at various levels and that education should be able to give them the ability to make
choices.

"Girl children do not understand or express conflict in them. They should be empowered. If the empowerment takes place she will think. She will say that she doesn't want to marry young and that she will not allow discrimination," he said.

Need to sensitise adolescents about HIV/AIDS: Sibal

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