Awantipora/ Charari Sharief: Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) on Wednesday celebrated ‘World AIDS Day’ themed as “End Inequalities, End AIDS, End Pandemics” organised by its constituent Nursing Colleges at Awantipora and Charari Sharief campuses under the banner of Red Ribbon Club programmes in line with this year’s theme by UNAIDS. Seminar-cum-Workshops were organised by Syed Mantaqi Memorial College of Nursing and Medical Technology (SMMCN&MT), Awantipora and Alamdar Memorial College of Nursing and Medical Technology (AMCONMT) Charari Sharief Budgam in collaboration with Jammu Kashmir AIDS Control Society (JKACS) and Jammu and Kashmir Paramedical Council.
Registrar IUST Prof. Naseer Iqbal, who was also the Chief Guest at IUST appreciated the constituent Nursing Colleges of IUST for regularly organising events aimed at creating awareness in the society. While emphasizing the importance of World AIDs Day, he stressed on the importance of educating general public about this deadly disease and also encouraged to play their role as responsible citizens and able nursing professionals of tomorrow.
Assistant Director (JKACS), Department of Health and Medical Education, Dr. Rumisa Shawl in her address emphasized the importance of this day and highlighted its role in generating an understanding about its epidemiology and also realising the prevalence of inequalities among AIDS patients. She discussed the work done by health workers at JKAS and said, “JKACS is already providing all the facilities for AIDS patients at PHC’s, CHC’s and District hospitals further these facilities will be available at dispensaries and small rural areas for free of cost.” Assistant Director JKACS, Department of Health and Medical Education J&K, Ms. Sabiha Iqbal while noting the importance of World AIDS Day focused upon the disparities.
Iqbal focussing on the laws and rights of people with HIV AIDS opined, “HIV- AIDS is a pandemic and how the stakeholders can eradicate the level of discrimination”.
Earlier Principal SMMCN&MT, IUST Ms. Asmat Parveen welcomed the speakers and participants and discussed the spread of HIV and status of the patients while referring to the World Health Organization (WHO) statistics. Parveen also lamented about the prevailing prejudice in the society regarding AIDS patients and provided some suggestions to tackle with this issue.
At AMCONMT , the Principal and organizing Chairperson of the event, Prof. Mehmooda Regu while talking about the objective of the event said, “awareness and sensitization campaigns at an extensive level were aimed to commemorate world AIDS day and make governments’ policy makers to commit themselves and their resources towards the prevention and cure of HIV AIDS”. “Society as a whole needed to come forward to check the growing menace of HIV AIDS,” Regu added. She further emphasized the importance of the containment of the epidemic through massive awareness programmes and access to treatment at the various ART Centers.
Programme coordinator and organizing secretary of the event, Mr. Syed Shahid Siraj, highlighted the ‘advancements of medical sciences in tackling the challenging pandemics’ but noted that ‘all strategies have fallen short of an ideal treatment for the management of AIDS’. “In the absence of any ideal treatment modality, we have to bank upon the preventive strategies which have to be community oriented,” he added.
The students participated in various activities like debate, mask designing, painting, meme and gif competition to shed light on the theme,”End inequalities, End pandemics”, through various activities
During the valediction, Principal AMCONMT, Prof. Mehmooda Regu felicitated participants with trophies and certificates. A signature campaign was also held on the side-lines with an objective to prevent stigma and discrimination against PLHIV. Later a rally was taken out from AMCONMT to sports council stadium Charari Sharief to show solidarity and support with the people living with HIV/ AIDS.

KR Desk