By March, four special trains will set out on a six-month-long journey from different directions of India to spread awareness about HIV/AIDS that has claimed around 20 million lives globally.

Facing the challenge of improving the lives of an estimated 5.1 million HIV-positive Indians, the second highest after South Africa, New Delhi has set for itself an ambitious target of controlling the spread of HIV by 2007.

Of the several modes being adopted to contain the spread of HIV/AIDS, India is planning a massive awareness programme of which the four "Red Ribbon (global AIDS symbol) Express" trains are an integral part, said S.Y. Quraishi, director general of the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO).

"By the first week of March the four trains would embark on a 180-day journey from Jammu in the north, Kanyakumari in the south, Jaisalmer in the west and Guwahati in the east. Performers would travel to villages to spread awareness about HIV/AIDS," Quraishi told IANS.

The trains were originally to be flagged off on the Republic Day, but were postponed due to technical reasons.

Each train, with five specially equipped and remodelled coaches, would travel 6,000 km. Of the five coaches, one would have an exhibition and another a hospital on wheels with HIV testing facilities.

Every day the trains would travel 50-60 km at night and during daytime halt as stations to allow the Prithvi Theatre-trained troupes to travel by bicycles to nearby villages.

All the trains are expected to converge at Nagpur after the six-month journey with 90 halts.

"Our strategy is to reach out to around 30,000 villages and small towns in the country to spread awareness about HIV/AIDS, conduct tests, make them aware about the route of transmission, preventive methods and gender discrimination among others," said Quraishi.

While NACO will mobilise funds for the mass awareness programmes, the programme is being implemented by the Nehru Yuva Kendra, the National Cadet Corps, Scouts and Guides and the state AIDS societies.

The other partners are the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, which has the technical capacity of running a hospital on wheels (Lifeline Express), and several NGOs and UN partners.

Besides staging street plays, distributing pamphlets and singing educational songs on HIV/AIDS, the troupes would help to document their findings and conduct brief surveys that would be relayed back to the trainers. A camera crew would also travel in the trains.

"As part of the mass awareness programme several other activities are under preparation. In what is to be the biggest reality show, films shot during the journey of the train would be shown on television along with a daily soap on Doordarshan," the official said.

There would also be a deluge of press advertisements and media orientation through workshops to create better understanding of the issues.

Besides the ministry of health, ministries of labour and rural development would support the awareness campaign by roping in the corporate sector.

"The objective is to ensure that every company has an AIDS policy and that the corporate sector also contributes to the efforts to tackle issues of discrimination at work and help in the treatment of the affected workforce," said Quraishi.

The awareness campaign is expected to cost around Rs.400-500 million, while the Red Ribbon Express campaign is expected to cost another Rs.200 million.

These efforts are in addition to the free anti-retroviral drugs being provided to AIDS patients through 13 hospitals in six of the high prevalence states.

The target is to offer the programme through 188 clinics in three years and reach out to 100,000 people, particularly HIV-positive women, children and those below the poverty line.