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Phase two of Balbir Pasha campaign against AIDS launched
MUMBAI: Non governmental organisation (NGO) Population Services International (PSI), today announced the launch of its self-risk perception campaign, Balbir Pasha Phase Two in Mumbai.
The mass media campaign for HIV/AIDS prevention, was launched this month and will continue till February 2005. The campaign is spread across three phases.
PSI communications manager Kavita Jayaraman said, “Phase Two of the Balbir Pasha campaign has been evolved from the learnings of Phase One. Our objective is to reduce the stigma and discrimination connected with HIV/AIDS and make it easy to discuss. This is critical to raise the ‘risk perception’ among men indulging in high risk behaviour.”
The objective of the Balbir Pasha phase two campaign are:
1) To personalise the risk of the HIV/AIDS among those men practicing high risk sexual behaviour,
2) To engage the target group with the issues related to HIV/AIDS and
3) To motivate action – in terms of seeking information through the helpline or visiting the VCT/STI centres.
After the findings of a research undertaken by PSI, the insights that are being addressed in this new campaign are:
1) Addressing married men and the risk they put their families into when they indulge in extra-martial affairs,
2) Not wearing a condom is a misplaced sign of being macho,
3) Sexual relationships with any non-spousal partner put one at risk of contracting HIV.
The Balbir Pasha Phase Two campaign will tackle issues closely related to personal risk perception. Outdoor hoardings, bus shelters, press, cinema theatres, television, cable and radio will be used to propagate the campaign.
PSI’s innovative integrated intervention, mass media campaign and behaviour change programme under Operation Light House in the last two years has exposed the staggering misconceptions surrounding HIV transmission and risk assessment among the vulnerable population in the country.
Asserting the need for a direct and targeted campaign, which brings the HIV/AIDS issue into the public domain, PSI national HIV/AIDS coordinator Dr Shilpa Merchant said, “The Balbir Pasha phase one consumer study indicates that the campaign has brought significant changes in the social norms amongst the vulnerable population. This indicates that if on a sustained basis the target group is exposed to messages on HIV/ AIDS then there will be a positive shift towards practicing safer sex and less indulgence in high risk behaviour.”
The impact that the Balbir Pasha phase one campaign created among the target group was revealed by an independent research agency TNS Mode. The study revealed significant behavior changes among the target group, which are as follows:
1) Proportion of target audience who felt at risk for HIV if they had sex with healthy looking commercial sex workers (CSWs) increased from 30 per cent to 56 per cent; while risk associated with ‘expensive’ CSWs increased from 50 per cent to 72 per cent.
2) Increase in proportion of individuals reporting last-time condom usage with CSWs from 87 per cent to 92 per cent.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
