Sri Vijaya Puram, July 23: The Andaman and Nicobar AIDS Control Society (ANACS) has called for stronger coordination among educational institutions, youth organisations and government departments to expand HIV/AIDS awareness programmes among young people across the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The call was made during a meeting of the Joint Working Group on Youth held on July 22, which brought together Red Ribbon Club (RRC) Nodal Officers representing various colleges and institutions, along with the Project Coordinator of My Bharat Kendra. The meeting focused on reviewing ongoing awareness initiatives and planning activities for the financial year 2026–27.
Addressing the participants, ANACS Project Director Dr. Subrata Saha appreciated the efforts of Red Ribbon Club Nodal Officers for conducting HIV awareness programmes through various activities during the year. He stressed the need for greater collaboration between ANACS and institutions, including the Department of Sports and Youth Affairs, the Department of Education and My Bharat Kendra, to integrate HIV/AIDS awareness into sports events, youth programmes and other institutional activities.
The meeting also reviewed strategies to strengthen outreach among young people through coordinated awareness campaigns and institutional participation. The discussions focused on improving the implementation of awareness activities by involving multiple departments and educational institutions.
A presentation on Red Ribbon Club activities and the proposed programmes for the financial year 2026–27 was delivered by Dr. Jahanara Yasmeen, Deputy Director (MS & IEC). The presentation outlined the planned activities for the coming year and was followed by discussions on their effective implementation.
The Red Ribbon Club programme serves as a youth-focused initiative to promote awareness on HIV/AIDS and encourage informed and responsible behaviour among students through educational institutions. The meeting reviewed the role of nodal officers in carrying forward awareness campaigns and strengthening participation in future programmes.
The deliberations concluded with discussions on improving coordination among stakeholder departments and institutions to ensure wider outreach of HIV/AIDS awareness activities among the youth population in the islands.
