Red Ribbon Express in city, 118 people undergo HIV tests

The Red Ribbon Express, which has been travelling around the country to spread awareness about HIV/AIDS, reached Kurla Terminus at 10 am on Wednesday.

The Red Ribbon Express, which has been travelling around the country to spread awareness about HIV/AIDS, reached Kurla Terminus at 10 am on Wednesday.

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Within seven hours, 118 people underwent HIV tests after walking through the coaches that had interactive exhibitions.

Encouraged by the response, the Mumbai District Aids Control Society (MDACS) has decided to set up a museum at its Wadala premises with permanent exhibits for sex education and HIV awareness. “We are in the process of preparing a proposal. We will submit it to the National Aids Control Organisation next month along with our action plan for the year,” said MDACS project director Dr S.S. Kudalkar.

The proposed museum will be housed in a large, vacant ward in the Wadala Leprosy Hospital. MDACS will use some exhibits from the Kamathipura sex museum, which was closed down in 2006. The entire project will cost roughly Rs 1 crore. “We would like to organise museum tours for students and migrants,” said additional project director Dr Harish Phatak.

The project is an initiative of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and NACO. The train has covered 27,000 km across 24 states and reached 6.2 million people.