Union health ministry wants to reach 11 crore Indians with new HIV/AIDS app

MUMBAI, INDIA: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in collaboration with AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and National AIDS Control Organization has launched a new mobile application on HIV/AIDS.

The mobile application titled HIV Education and Linkage to Prevention (HELP), will help users to learn about their HIV status. It will transmit information personally to each user, a step ahead of door-to-door health services.

Besides, the application will provide complete information on HIV, increase awareness and risk perception as well as prompt users to access HIV tests from the nearest center free of cost.

Ensuring confidentiality, with bi-lingual facility and easy compatibility, it is expected to reach more than 11 crore people across urban and rural settings.

Navneet S Kang, Additional Secretary and DG, NACO, stated, “HIV affects the people most at the productive or young ages. There is a gap between the estimated number of people living with HIV and those who have tested and know their status. It is critical that people know their HIV status early so that a healthy and quality life can be led with the help of treatment. This application will enable the young to assess their risk to HIV and then, take a step forward and get tested.”

JP Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, said, “Technology and youth are inseparable. However, inadequate access to information and complex messages from various sources can confuse the youth. If we can use technology to guide and educate youth, it can open up endless opportunities to reach the young with authentic information on the services on HIV and AIDS. There is a dire need to motivate, inform and guide them.”

“This mobile application will complement the efforts of early testing and treatment. We stand committed to prevent the young generation from HIV/AIDS” added Bhanu Pratap Sharma, Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Michael Weinstein, President, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, said, “The collaboration is strategic as we intend to increase testing and reach the unreached through technology. AHF’s support for this initiative is a part of our 20x20 Call to Action for treating 20 million people globally by the end of 2020. This we feel can only be achieved by greater identification and technology-based initiatives which can generate awareness about HIV and, thereby, lead to greater testing uptake.”

The app will be taken further to the block level by DoT with the help of BSNL & MTNL to cover rural youth across the country.