Karnataka Initiates Eight-Month Red Ribbon Campaign for HIV Awareness

The Karnataka State AIDS Prevention Society (KSAPS) has commenced an eight-month Red Ribbon awareness campaign targeting colleges across the state. This initiative aims to enhance awareness about HIV/AIDS among students through regular activities and digital engagement.

The campaign's key objective is to reach young people via direct outreach methods and online platforms, while also fostering healthy competition among educational institutions through a transparent scoring system. Universities in Karnataka have been instructed to direct their affiliated colleges to carry out awareness programmes each month for the duration of the campaign.

Colleges will be required to submit monthly reports detailing student participation numbers and the reach of digital initiatives. District AIDS Prevention and Control Officers will oversee the campaign's implementation at the district level.

This college-focused campaign is part of a larger initiative called Mobilisation for AIDS Suraksha (MAS), which aims to increase HIV awareness across various groups within society. In addition to colleges, multiple government departments and public sector organisations are also encouraged to promote HIV awareness. These efforts include enabling individuals to assess their HIV risk using a QR code-based self-assessment tool and facilitating integrated health camps in collaboration with district AIDS prevention units.

Participating departments include the Police Department, Higher Education Department, Technical Education Department, Transport Department, and others. According to the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), approximately 56,000 individuals in Karnataka, including both the general public and high-risk groups, are living with HIV without being tested, thus remaining unaware of their status.

To assist these individuals, KSAPS promotes the Break Free India – HIV Self Risk Assessment tool. Users can scan a QR code, respond to several questions, and evaluate their risk level. Those who are identified as potentially at risk are advised to visit the nearest Integrated Counselling and Testing Centre (ICTC) for voluntary HIV testing.

Since its launch in 2004, over 203,000 people living with HIV in Karnataka have been receiving treatment, with 39,028 belonging to the 18 to 35 age bracket. Health officials have clarified that HIV testing is not mandatory in the state. Under the HIV and AIDS (Prevention and Control) Act, 2017, individuals cannot be compelled to undergo HIV testing. The QR code assessment serves purely as a screening tool to help people evaluate whether they may be at risk, and those identified as such are only advised to voluntarily pursue testing at an ICTC.

In conjunction with the Red Ribbon campaign, KSAPS has also initiated a Mascot campaign to raise awareness among individuals who may not be informed about their HIV status. Furthermore, HIV awareness messages are being disseminated through advertisements on dating applications to engage populations that may be at increased risk of HIV infection and to encourage understanding of prevention and testing options.