Union MoRTH & Union MoHFW signed MoU to provide HIV preventive services

The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on 9 June 2014 signed a MoU to provide HIV preventive services to transport sector workers.

Ministry of Road Transport and Highways through National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will promote awareness generation through health camps and display of Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials like panels, hoardings etc. at various locations on National Highways.

It will also issue advisory to the concessionaries through NHAI to promote safe sexual behaviour among truckers and migrant workers through NGOs at their halting points.

The Department of AIDS control under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will provide the necessary technical support to implement the programme as envisaged in the MoU.

India has one of the largest numbers of people living with HIV/AIDS in the world. Transport workers are more vulnerable to the disease due to lack of awareness, transitory nature of work, limited access to services and inadequate mechanism to address the challenge. It is  considered as a social vector in the transmission of HIV/AIDS.