Bengaluru: All engineering colleges affiliated with Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) will conduct integrated health camps with special focus on HIV awareness, testing, and counselling under the Mobilisation for AIDS Suraksha (MAS) programme.Karnataka State AIDS Prevention Society (KSAPS) has asked VTU to facilitate the camps across its affiliated institutions. VTU is the umbrella university for engineering colleges in the state, with more than 220 affiliated colleges and around 3 lakh students.According to KSAPS, an estimated 1 lakh people are living with HIV in Karnataka, of whom nearly 54,000 may be undiagnosed and unaware of their status. The society said expanding HIV testing is critical to bridging this gap.The MAS programme is aligned with the 95-95-99 HIV control targets — ensuring that 95% of people living with HIV know their status, 95% of those diagnosed receive continuous antiretroviral therapy (ART), and viral load is controlled in 99% of people on ART.The health camps will provide students with information on HIV, besides offering testing and counselling services. KSAPS has also developed a QR code-based ‘know your HIV status’ self-risk assessment tool, enabling students to confidentially assess whether they need HIV testing based on their behaviour and possible risk exposure. The tool also provides information on prevention, testing, counselling, treatment, and other support services.The society has requested engineering colleges to prominently display the QR code on campus to encourage students to access the tool.In a letter to the VTU vice-chancellor, the KSAPS project director said the initiative would be implemented through district offices in coordination with district AIDS control officers. It sought the university’s support in directing principals of affiliated engineering colleges to cooperate with the programme.“Karnataka State AIDS Prevention Society is conducting several awareness programmes to control AIDS in the state. As part of this initiative, they have requested VTU to organise integrated health camps. We have directed engineering colleges to conduct these camps… Since this is a sensitive issue, we have emphasised that confidentiality must be maintained and students should not be placed in any embarrassing situation,” said VTU vice-chancellor Prof S Vidyashankar.KSAPS said the initiative would improve HIV awareness among young people, facilitate early detection of infections, and ensure timely linkage to treatment, strengthening Karnataka’s HIV prevention and control efforts.BOXAIDS society dismisses claim of 7k HIV-positive college studentsBengaluru: Karnataka State AIDS Prevention Society (KSAPS) has quashed reports that 7,000 college students in the state have tested positive for HIV.In a clarification issued Wednesday, KSAPS said the Mobilisation for AIDS Suraksha (MAS) programme was launched to create awareness among college students about HIV/AIDS through various activities, including the 8-Month Red Ribbon Awareness Campaign.The society said around 56,000 HIV-infected people are estimated to be living in Karnataka among the general and at-risk populations, many of whom remain unidentified. KSAPS said that since 2004, as many as 39,028 HIV-infected people aged between 18 and 35 years have been receiving ART treatment. However, this figure was “wrongly interpreted” by certain media as 7,000 college students being infected with HIV, it said.It also clarified that under the HIV and AIDS (Prevention and Control) Act, 2017, HIV testing cannot be made mandatory.
