Dr Akuo Sorhie, Project Director, NSACS delivering the keynote address during the Regional Level Red Ribbon Club Quiz Competition (East Zone) on December 8.
Morung Express News
Kohima | December 8
“Your role to the cause is vital in combating and mitigating the impact of HIV & AIDS and even as we move forward together towards achieving our common goal of ending HIV epidemic as a Public Health Threat by 2030, our states, our nation, our world needs your continual support and partnership as ambassadors in this fight against HIV & AIDS.”
Project Director of Nagaland State AIDS Control Society (NSACS), Dr Akuo Sorhie told the Nodal Officers and Red Ribbon Club Members from all the states while stating appreciation for the commendable works they have been doing over the years.
Delivering the keynote address during the inaugural session of the Regional Level Red Ribbon Club Quiz Competition (East Zone) at Hotel Vivor on December 8, she thanked them for taking the task as an individual responsibility and for being ‘agents of change.’ She acknowledged the IEC Officials from National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) and all the state AIDS Control Societies for their invaluable dedication in organising, preparing and educating their teams in every level of the competition to make the regional level a fruitful one.
“This is not only a quiz competition but a strong tool of HIV & AIDS awareness, ‘Channelising Youth for Healthy Living,” she asserted while assuring the gathering that the competition would be carried out in all fairness and sincerity.
NSACS is hosting the regional level Red Ribbon Club Quiz Competition for the second time comprising of the states of East Zone namely, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Sikkim, West Bengal and Nagaland. Mention may be made here that this is the third edition of the quiz competition.
The Project Director acknowledged the National AIDS Control Organisation for coming up with the innovative idea of organising the Red Ribbon Club Quiz Competition, for the Red Ribbon members all over the country under the banner ‘Channelising Youth for Healthy Living.’
Since its inception in 2020-21, she said that the quiz competition has been actively engaging the youth, especially the Red Ribbon Club members. She also expressed optimism that this platform has been creating a positive impact on the young people, and helping them to gain more knowledge and information about HIV & AIDS, preparing them to be agents of change in the battle against HIV.
In his special address highlighted through a video clip, Dr Anoop Kumar Puri, DDG (IEC & MS), NACO impressed upon the gathering that they are the torchbearers of the National AIDS Program. Stating that the participants can become ambassadors of the state/national for their program, he urged the State AIDS Control Societies to select the young ambassador from the Red Ribbon Clubs.
This, he emphasized will be very effective because they are in the vulnerable age groups. “And this vulnerable age groups need to address the problem themselves. If they find the solution to their own problems, it will be more effective,” he put across.
Utpal Das, Consultant (IEC & MS), NACO also emphasized that it is not only participating but expressed his expectation that they would “take this message forward and disseminate among your peer groups, communities, your seniors and juniors.” Maintaining that people could have heard about HIV, he however observed that many times, they don’t know the routes of transmission and are not aware of many things in relation to HIV. In this regard, he urged the participants to take the message forward in disseminating the correct information about HIV.
Earlier, H Viputo Yeptho, Winner (RRC National Level Quiz, 2021-22) presented a motivational talk through a video clip while Loziko presented Tati Pfhe, an Angami cultural song. Metevinuo Sakhrie, Joint Director (IEC), NSACS was the moderator. She also gave the welcome address. Quiz master for the Regional Level Red Ribbon Club Quiz Competition (East Zone) was Vincent Belho. The competition comprised of 4 rounds categorized as Mixed Bag, Warming up, Beyond Boundaries and Do or Die respectively.
