Networking prog on AIDS held
Source: The Sangai Express
ThoubaL, November 10 2015:
New Vision Manipur, under the aegis of Manipur AIDS Control Society (MACS), Imphal, conducted a network programme on the theme 'Role of AIDS helpline 1097 (toll free ): Achievements and challenges' at the office of AIDS Helpline Telephone Counselling Centre, Thoubal today, our correspondent reports.
Th Open kumar, supervisor District AIDS Prevention Control Unit, Thoubal and Kh Pradipkumar, chief functionary, New Vision Manipur were the presidium members of the programme.
Speaking at the occasion Kh Pradipkumar said the AIDS Helpline.
Thoubal began functioning in the district in 2005 with the support of MACS, managed by a Project Manager and two counsellors.
From April 2014 to March 2015, the helpline received a total of 2831 calls.
The helpline's number - 1097 is a toll free number giving out counselling and information on HIV and AIDS related queries to the callers.
Recently there was trial run to set up a centralised Call Centre with a proposal to set up a regional call centre at Guwahati for the whole of North East India.
However, the proposal was dropped as the idea was infeasible in the region where a large number of communities speaking different languages and dialects live together.
Even in Manipur, there are more than 36 communities speaking different languages.
A single centralised call centre was not feasible therefore, Pradipkumar stated.
In Manipur four centres are operational at present located at Imphal, Thoubal, Churachandpur and Chandel.
ASHA workers, male sex workers, female sex workers, members of DAPCU, YARD, Kakching and local clubs under Thoubal district took part in today's programme.