HIV/AIDS awareness seminar held in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 December 2004, 14:25 GMT]
"Students of the east port town should exercise constraint in their sexual behaviours and should not fall to prey to the deadly disease. Six persons have already been affected by HIV/AIDS affected in Trincomalee district," warned Dr.E.G.Gnanagunalan, President of the Trincomalee district branch of the Sri Lanka Red Cross (SLRC) and a senior medical officer of the provincial ministry of health addressing a seminar for students held Wednesday in the Trincomalee Town Hall to mark the International HIV/ AIDS Day.

Students in procession

SLRC Trinco branch officer Mr.Maniwannan, Dr.Gnanagunalan and UNHCR officials are seen seated

UNHCR Trincomalee head Ms Britto Helleland speaking

A section of students participating in the seminar

Street drama on HIV/AIDS

The seminar was organized to educate the students about the prevention measures to be taken against the HIV/AIDS, SLRC sources said.

The SLRC Trincomalee district branch earlier organized this event to be held on December 1st the day declared as World AIDS Day.

However the event was not held on that day as unrest prevailed in Trincomalee due to violent incidents, sources said.

Dr.Gnanagunalan further said India is the second country in the world where more persons contracted HIV/AIDS are living. "We should bear in our mind that about two hundred thousand displaced persons from northeast province are also currently residing in Tamilnadu in India," said Dr.Gnanagunalan.

In the year 2002 three persons in Trincomalee district were identified as positive HIV/AIDS cases and three more persons in the year 2003. How many have contracted HIV/AIDS this year, 2004 would be revealed next year, said Dr.Gnanagunalan.

Earlier hundreds of students participated in an awareness procession organized by the SLRC Trinco district branch. The procession commenced at the end of Sea View Road and arrived at Trincomalee Town Hall passing through several roads, sources said.

UNHCR Trincomalee district head Ms Britto Helleland, UNHCR official Ms Arunothini Arulsubramanian, SLRC Trincomalee district official Mr.Manivannan spoke in the seminar.

A street drama produced by the Trincomalee District Youth Aham was played at the conclusion of the seminar.

Students in large number participated in the seminar.