Nowhere was it more evident than at a meeting held on Thursday at St George Hospital, attended by executive director of Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) Peter Piot -- visiting the country on his first official mission, NGOs and State Government officials.

Unveiling the measures to be taken by the government, N B Patil, secretary of Public Health Department, informed that the government had just set up two AIDS control societies -- one for Mumbai and another for the rest of the state. This was a suggestion made by the World Bank, which funds the AIDS control programme, Patil added.

The Mumbai District Aids Control Society is chaired by the municipal commissioner while the Maharashtra State Aids Society is under Patil. Aseparate society for the city will ensure more interaction between the NGOs working in the field, the government and other parties concerned, the secretary said.

The government is also planning to introduce measures for spreading awareness about the disease. For instance, local authorities have been asked to contact schools, colleges and organise awareness campaigns. Again, there are plans to start hospitals along the national highways specifically for the aid of high risk groups such as truck drivers. Mobile dispensaries will also be started, Patil said.

In Mumbai, there are plans to start 19 Comprehensive Health Care Units (CPHUs), 16 Voluntary Testing Centres, 10 day care centres and three hospices. Also, ways to strengthen the partnership between NGOs and the government will be worked out.

Peter Piot on his part felt that there was more awareness and more people working in the field now, as compared to the situation some years back when he had first visited the country. However, the stress should beon organising awareness campaigns and also on keeping the youth informed, that being the most vulnerable group, he felt.

``India is top priority for UNAIDS,'' he said, adding that the organisation will be holding a meeting with representatives from 22 countries and NGOs in Delhi this December.

Technical and research help will also be given to groups in the country, Piot added.