Public Sector should take lead to fight against HIV/AIDS: Dr Dewan 

The public sector enterprises should take lead to fight against HIV/AIDS menace, said Dr S.M. Dewan, Director General, Standing Conference of Public Enterprises (SCOPE) here today. He was addressing the two-day Workshop on “HIV/AIDS Workplace Policy and Programmes at Enterprises Through Existing Occupational Safety and Health Structures” organized by SCOPE in collaboration with International Labour Organization (ILO). 

Dr Dewan said Central PSEs which provide direct employment to 1.7 million people and indirect employment to about 20 million people should educate its employees and others to curb the menace. He said many progressive CPSEs have established full-fledged Occupational Health Centers with state-of-art facilities, which are fully operational. These facilities could also be used for combating HIV/AIDS. He appealed to the PSEs to allocate some percentage of their CSR funds to combat the menace.

HIV/AIDS has emerged as a major global threat to the humanity today and has become a serious socio-economic and development concern.  About 2.5 million Indian are currently living with HIV and over 90 percent of them are youth, which is very alarming, DG, SCOPE added.

Dr H.K. Chopra, Convenor of SCOPE Health Committee & Director, Heart Care Foundation of India, advised PSE executives to adopt a healthy life-style in order to lead a happy life. He said HIV/AIDS is an expression of our own perception, thoughts and ideas.  Companies should come forward to provide care, support and confidence to the people who are suffering from this disease.