New Delhi, June 10, 2014 – The Ministry of Road transport and Highways and the Department of AIDS control, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare have signed a MoU today with an objective of providing HIV preventive services to transport sector workers, by spreading awareness, promoting behavioural change communication, conducting health education,training and service delivery etc. India has one of the largest numbers of people living with HIV/AIDS in the world. Transport workers are more vulnerable to the disease due to lack of awareness, transitory nature of work, limited access to services and inadequate mechanism to address the challenge. Transport is considered as a social vector in the transmission of HIV/AIDS as transport workers serve as conduits of infection to the general population. A targeted approach to the prevention of the disease by involving a non-health sector such as transport therefore gains significance.
The Road Transport and Highways Ministry through NHAI will promote awareness generation through health camps and display of Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials like panels, hoardings etc. at various locations on National Highways. The ministry will issue advisory to the concessionaries through NHAI to promote safe sexual behaviour among truckers and migrant workers through NGOs at their halting points. The Department of AIDS control will provide the necessary technical support to implement the programme as envisaged in the MoU. Shri V.K. Subburaj, Secretary, Department of AIDS control and Shri Vijay Chibber, Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways signed the MoU on behalf of their respective ministries. PIB
