Distinguished sexologists and counsellors Yogesh Marfatia, Jagdish Paralikar, Kaushal Seth and Kiran Shinglot, while speaking on the occasion, emphasised the role of youth in AIDS control and awareness against the disease. They exhorted the youth to intensify awareness drives among youth, specially students who, according to studies, were the biggest risk group specially in Vadodara.

They said that though the government and various non-governmental agencies were working to control the disease and spread awareness at various levels, the youth were not given required attention in the context.

Chairman of the club's AIDS Awareness Campaign Devesh Gupta and chairman of the Healthcare Management Committee of the Baroda Management Association J R Kamath said that at least 100 youth would be identified for peer group for Vadodara, who would spread the message among youths through personal contact as well as co-ordinate with various government and non-government agencies.

According to them, these activists will also identify the patients among youths and guide them, besides educating youth about the various routes -- unsafe sexual intercourse and infected blood transfusion, among others -- thorough which AIDS could spread. These awareness activities would be reviewed on monthly basis, Gupta said, adding similar seminars will also be organised by the club.