After AIDS, he now joins fight against H1N1

Mysore, Aug 20 :

 He is just a Science school teacher, but is international acclaimed through his innovative and social approach towards sensitive subjects like Aids.

Students of Florida and Harvard Universities, USA have documented and prepared a comparative thesis on his works on Aids. And, now he joins the fight against Influenza ‘A’ (H1N1).

Mr H. N. Girish, an expert in Genetic Sciences and a teacher at Maharani High School here, has shot to fame in 2007 after he built a temple dedicated to “Aids Amma” (The Goddess of Aids) at Menasikyathanalli near Mysore to remove social boycott and general stigma towards HIV infected patients. Many foreign news agencies, including the BBC have appreciated the concept and gave wide coverage.

 Mr Girish told here on Thursday that he has prepared a CD consisting of complete information on Swine Flu in regional Kannada language and distributed in all government, aided and un-aided schools across the district to bring awareness among the school children.

“There is a wide spread panic among the teachers, parents and school children. Attendance at schools has drastically come down because of Swine Flu scare. In fact, the mental stigma of scare will attract flu. The disorder is not as deadly as is being portrayed,” he said.

The CD has 28 slides which educates on origin of H1N1 virus, symptoms, precautionary measures, whom to contact, facility centers, help line numbers and the virus effect on human morphology. “I have downloaded the information from World Health Organisation (WHO) website and translated into simple Kannada for easy understanding”, Mr Girish said.

He is now planning to organize a jatra on H1N1 involving students and academicians. Free medical check-up and street plays, apart from blood donation and a procession by school students would mark the event.