Andhra Pradesh is introducing HIV and AIDS education to Class X students from November 1. With Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu insisting that education of HIV/AIDS for school children be imparted with immediate effect, the School Education Department is gearing up to train teachers on this subject. Class X teachers are being trained to take AIDS classes.

According to I V Subba Rao, Education Secretary, it was important that teachers were trained on imparting lessons on HIV/AIDS because the subject was different from others. A teacher would have to learn to integrate this with other subjects. Apart from this, most teachers were extremely shy and embarrassed to talk about sex, condoms and related topics. The teachers would be trained on handling students in HIV and AIDS classes and helping them to be comfortable.

Education about AIDS is part of the 'Learning for Life' initiative of UNICEF, the AP State AIDS Control Society (APSACS) and the School Education Department. The programme was to start in June this year, but due to a communication gap between the School Education Department and APSACS, it was put on the backburner. After the Chief Minister's intervention the programme is set for a relaunch from November 1.

US team in city with AIDS control programme: A three-member US team consisting of Mark O Loveless, Ados Velez-May and Randon S Pope of the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS, is in the city to offer technical assistance in the areas of surveillance, application of universal safety precautions and HIV positive patient care as part of the Global Technical Assistance Programme in Andhra Pradesh. The AP State AIDS Control Society would tie up with the US agency to start an AIDS surveillance system in the state.

The US delegation members said the existing STD clinics in the state could be converted into AIDS surveillance centres. They were impressed by APSACS and the knowledge, dedication and commitment of those working under the project.

The delegation stressed the need for post-test counselling for HIV patients to end suicidal tendencies. AIDS was a behavioural- based infection and translating knowledge into behavioural change was a challenging task for the agencies dealing with AIDS.

Apart from India (AP, Bihar), the Global Technical Assistance Programme was now on in Nigeria, Ethiopia, Brazil, Caribbean and China.

According to K Damayanthi, Director, APSACS, the Society looked forward to technical assistance in raising the level of surveillance to that of the US Centre for Disease Control. The Society had asked for stationing a US expert in the state for six months for this purpose and sharing expertise through study tours.