The southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, where officials say there are nearly 400,000 HIV-positive people, is launching a year-long AIDS awareness campaign due to begin Dec. 1. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, speaking with district heads in Hyderabad, directed the officials to especially target schools and colleges in the awareness campaign. A recent survey indicates that while 90 percent of the state population was aware of the AIDS risk, only 20 percent were practicing safer sex, Naidu said. People ages 18-30 were most vulnerable, he said. The chief minister asked his officials to make condoms available at public places such as bus stops and railway stations where people could pick them up without hesitation. He also asked officials to display safer sex measures at all official meetings. Earlier, he directed that all official meetings should begin with a talk on AIDS awareness. The government is also placing AIDS awareness ads on construction site fencing. The campaign has been criticized by some in the largely conservative state.

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