Sri Vijaya Puram July 22: A meeting of the Joint Working Group on Youth was organized by the Andaman & Nicobar AIDS Control Society (ANACS) on 21st July 2026. The meeting was attended by Red Ribbon Club (RRC) Nodal Officers representing various colleges and institutions, along with the Project Coordinator of My Bharat Kendra.
In his keynote address, Dr. Subrata Saha, Project Director, ANACS, congratulated all the RRC Nodal Officers for their dedicated efforts in successfully conducting HIV awareness activities through various programmes and initiatives throughout the year. He also highlighted both the positive and negative influences that Peer Educators can have on their peers. He suggested that every participating institution should nominate dedicated Peer Educators from among its students to coordinate and facilitate all Red Ribbon Club (RRC) activities and HIV&AIDS awareness programmes within their respective institutions. He also emphasized the need for greater collaboration between ANACS and departments/institutions such as the Department of Sports & Youth Affairs, the Department of Education and My Bharat Kendra to integrate HIV/AIDS awareness activities into their sports events, youth programmes, and other institutional activities.
He further emphasized the importance of promoting the BreakFree India Self-Risk Assessment among students and encouraged institutions to motivate young people to assess their HIV risk through the BreakFree India platform and access appropriate HIV prevention, testing, counselling, and treatment services based on their assessment.
A PowerPoint presentation was delivered by Dr Jahanara Yasmeen, Deputy Director (MS & IEC) highlighting the RRC activities and programmes proposed for implementation during the Financial Year 2026–27, followed by discussions on their effective execution.
The meeting aimed to strengthen the integration of the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) with the ongoing activities of colleges and educational institutions, thereby promoting sustained HIV/AIDS awareness, prevention, and youth engagement.
