Andhra Pradesh State AIDS Control Society (APSACS) Joint Director Dr. T. Kailash Ditya has described the youth in the universities and colleges as the “high risk” group for acquiring the dreaded disease and underscored the importance of creating awareness among them.
“HIV/AIDS is more than a disease. It is a social stigma endemic across different parts of the societies”, he said while delivering an extension lecture at Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU).
Dr Ditya was speaking on ‘HIV/AIDS and Social Work’ organized by the Department of Social Work on September 18 to create awareness and sensitizes young minds about epidemic of HIV/AIDS. He pointed out that prevention is the only cure available so far. He discussed about the treatment process for HIV positive and informed that the use of Antiretroviral Therapy to control and strengthen the immune system of HIV infected people in combating illness.
Highlighting the role of Social Work students at different levels of intervention for HIV/AIDS, Dr. Ditya said that social workers are professionally trained, both in theoretical domain as well as exposure at the field and have skills in rapport building with the client, resource mobilization, managing the whole programme and behavioural modification of people at high risk. These abilities have opened up more job opportunity for the social workers.
Dr. Md Shahid Raza, Associate Professor, Department of Social Work, in his presidential remarks highlighted the relationship between theoretical and practical aspects of professional social work. He discussed about social work intervention at micro, mid and macro levels in both the preventive and curative domain of intervention. ‘Field Work is crucial component in this regard which orient students about various practical aspects related to different problems’ says Dr. Raza. He also mentioned Department’s efforts through Skill Lab exercise in the process of making students sensitive and deft in handling issues like HIV/AIDS, Gender, and Disability.
Md Israr Alam, Assistant Professor and In charge of the programme, introduced the topic to the audience and put emphasis on need to know and be aware of HIV/AIDS to save the society, especially the young generation. Dr. Rafat Aara, guest faculty, welcomed the audience and Dr. Aftab Alam, Assistant Professor, presented vote of thanks. (INN)