Inspite of the strong IEC campaign on HIV/AIDS, there is still inadequate understanding of the serious implications of the disease among the legislators, political and social leaders, bureaucracy, media, leaders of trade and industry and professional agencies not to speak of

the medical and paramedical personnel engaged in health care delivery system. A strong advocacy campaign needs to be launched at all levels for these opinion leaders, policy makers and service providers to make them understand and feel motivated about the need for immediate prevention of the disease and also for adopting a human approach towards those who have already been infected with HIV/AIDS. The Government emphasises the need to start advocacy from the topmost level in Government and spread it down throughout the country.

There is still a serious information gap about the causes of spread of the disease even among a large number of medical and paramedical personnel both within the Government and outside. This occasionally leads to situations of discrimination of HIV/AIDS-infected persons in hospitals, dispensaries and workplaces, not to speak of the community at large. There is a strong need for advocacy at all levels to eliminate such discrimination and overreaction by the public against HIV/AIDS-infected people.

In educational institutions AIDS education should be imparted through curricular and extracurricular approach. The programme of AIDS education in schools and the 'Universities Talk AIDS' (UTA) programme should have universal applicability throughout the country in order to mobilise large sections of the student community to bring in awarenessamong themselves and as peer educators to the rest of the community. Non-student youth should also be addressed through the large network of youth organizations, sports clubs and Nehru Yuvak Kendras spread across the country. AIDS prevention education should also be integrated into the programmes of worker education and schemes of social development.

Electronic and print media has almost reached universal coverage for dissemination of information in India. The impressive rise in the levels of awareness about HIV/AIDS in the general community can be partly attributed o the electronic media which has taken this message right up to the village level. While there is general awareness about the disease, specific aspects like mode of transmission, method of protecting oneself from getting infected, etc. are still not known to a large section of the population. There is therefore an urgent need to have tailor-made programmes for targeted sections of the populations like students, youth, women, children, migrant workers, etc. The electronic media should evolve a well-coordinated media policy for dissemination of information on all aspects of HIV/AIDS including reinforcement of positive cultural values and social values like love, warmth and affection within the family. The newspapers, magazines and other print media should be used for conducting campaigns for social mobilisation to generate awareness about prevention and for sharing information and expertise. The media should in general play a positive role in generating an enabling environment for AIDS prevention and control and care of the HIV-infected people. The best communication talents available in Government and private sector should be utilised in designing these media campaigns which should be developed in local languages and in tune with the local needs and ethos. Media campaigns in rural areas should lay emphasis on local cultural values and should be conducted through folk dances, jatras, puppet shows, etc.