The ministries of Road Transport and Highways and Health and Family Welfare today joined hands to provide HIV preventive services to transport sector workers in the country, which has one of the largest numbers of people living with the infection.
The ministries signed an MoU to provide the service by taking steps including spreading awareness about HIV/AIDS, promoting behavioural change and conducting health education, according to an official statement.
India has one of the largest numbers of people living with HIV/AIDS in the world, the statement from road ministry said, adding that transport workers are more vulnerable to the disease due to lack of awareness, the transitory nature of work, limited access to services and inadequate mechanisms 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," the statement said.
A targeted approach to the prevention of the disease by involving a non-health sector such as transport therefore gains significance, the ministry said.
The road ministry, through the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), will promote awareness generation through health camps and the display of information, education and communication materials such as panels and hoardings at various locations on national highways.
The ministry will issue advisories to promote safe sexual behaviour among truckers and migrant workers at their halting points.
The Department of AIDS Control in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will provide technical support to implement the programme as envisaged in the MoU.
The MoU was signed by V K Subburaj, Secretary, Department of AIDS Control, and Vijay Chibber, Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
