The Hindu Business Line : Gere launches `Heroes Project' to fight AIDS

Hollywood star Richard Gere with Ms Parmeshwar Godrej at a press conference in Mumbai to launch the Heroes Project, India's new AIDS awareness programme, on Wednesday. Mr Gere is in the city to increase AIDS awareness around the country, which has more than 4.5 million HIV-infected people. — Paul Noronha

Mumbai , July 7

HOLLYWOOD star Richard Gere came calling here on Wednesday to spread awareness on HIV/AIDS. And the message that the lead actor of Pretty Woman brought with him was anything but pretty.

One in seven people infected by HIV/AIDS are in India, he said. It would require leadership from politicians and industry-leaders, for instance, to help de-stigmatise the illness and make a difference.

Accompanied by socialite Ms Parmeshwar Godrej, Mr Gere launched the `Heroes Project' to mobilise leaders and society to fight the illness through awareness campaigns. The first of the campaign is a television spot featuring Indian cricket team's vice-captain Rahul Dravid.

The Heroes project has received a grant of up to $2.4 million over three years from Avahan, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's India AIDS initiative. It would be implemented by them, along with the Gere Foundation, which has committed $2,50,000 in the first year towards public service messages in the health segment.

Star India too has committed an estimated $14 million in air-time through its media assets over the three-year period, Mr Gere said. The television spot would be aired over the bouquet of channels from the Star-stable.

Responding to a query on Indian industry still being on the fringes in terms of dealing with the illness, the actor said that more leadership needed to be shown by all layers in society, be the Government, industry or media.

"This is a new day, a new government and new leadership," he said, underlining the need for a stronger health infrastructure for initiatives extending beyond HIV/AIDS.

Dr Suniti Solomon, founder with Y.R. Gaitonde Care and board member Avahan, said: "People have to understand that they are at a risk. Don't imagine that the disease belongs only to truckers and sex-workers. It belongs to us, any of us is at risk."

India has about 5.1 million people infected by HIV/AIDS and people should take precautions to prevent the illness from spreading further. The disease is not a killer disease and it does not spread by casual contact. There is better access to HIV/AIDS drugs these days and infected people can get treated in time, she said.