Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss on Saturday said the Centre would enact legislation to eradicate discrimination against HIV/AIDS-affected people in the country.
The legislation would be brought in during the next budget session of Parliament, he said, while addressing the Third International Inter-faith Workshop on HIV/AIDS Stigma and Discrimination organised by the India Inter-faith Coalition on HIV/AIDS.
Stating the number of HIV/AIDS patients was increasing alarmingly, he stressed the need to introduce sex education in schools. "We have to be more open-minded and should be prepared to discuss sex," he said.
HIV/AIDS is not only a health issue, but also a socio-economic problem, he said and added that the growth rate of India, which is at present 8.2 per cent, would see a downfall if HIV/AIDS cases increased.
With 600 million people below the age of 25 years, India had the second largest growing population in the world. But the country's vibrant youth population is under the increasing risk of the HIV/AIDS, he said.
Stating that the Union government is streamlining HIV/AIDS programmes, Ramadoss said India is the only country where a prime minister is chairing the National Council on AIDS. Besides Union ministers, seven chief ministers are also its members, he added.
