An AIDS awareness rally in Bhubaneswar on Sunday. Picture by Sanjib Mukherjee

Bhubaneswar, Dec. 1: Red ribbons on their tees and resolve in their voices, hundreds of youths hit the streets on the occasion of World AIDS Day today to raise awareness against the deadly disease.

Mini-marathons, rallies, and campaigns went all out to send across a loud message on prevention of AIDS and change of the society’s attitude towards its victims.

The Odisha State AIDS Control Society (OSACS), a registered body under the health and family welfare department, set up six information kiosks with electronic machines in the city to provide AIDS-related information to people. The society has collaborated with Teach Aids, a non-profit organisation, to introduce an animated course work for HIV education in Odia language in schools and colleges from next year.

The OSACS, which is implementing National AIDS Control Programmes, conducted a rally from Ekamra Haat to Jayadev Bhavan, in which more than 1,000 people, mostly youths, took part.

Later, a meeting was held at Jayadev Bhavan where health and family welfare minister Damodar Rout and other legislators addressed the volunteers. The minister inaugurated an information kiosk at Capital Hospital.

“We will set up five more such touch-screen machines across the city. Those who want information related to AIDS have to use it by clicking on the appropriate heads. They can also get details about the available government facilities,” said Ajay Pradhan, project manager of Inspavo, the private company that has developed the software and the machine.

Rout added that as people still treat AIDS as a hush-hush topic, the kiosks would provide them first-hand information and clear their doubts. The machines were set up at three medical colleges in the state today.

Two mini marathons took place in the city today. While a marathon — between Infocity and Kalinga Stadium — organised by a television company owned by BJD MP Baijayant Panda, another marathon was organised by a media group from Seventh Battalion to Exhibition Ground.