HIV-AIDS Affected Persons to be Included in BPL List by Orissa Government

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has said that the Orissa government is considering plans to include HIV-AIDS affected patients in the up-coming BPL list. Patnaik said that the plans are part of a larger initiative to help HIV affected people and their families lead a normal life.

Mr Patnaik made these statements when he was receiving AIDS campaigner Red Ribbon Express (RRE) at Mancheswar Railway station.

Finance Minister Prafulla Chandra Ghadai, who also addressed the gathering, said that there are over 16,000 HIV-positive people in Orissa and that to date some 1,150 of them had succumbed to the disease.

Joint Director of NACO Manyank Agrawal, who was also present at the station, praised the initiatives taken by the Orissa government, which may be why the prevalence of the condition is so low in the state.


Source-Medindia
RAS