Thursday, December 1 2005 13:52 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: December 1, Observing that AIDS could have serious consequences for the country's economy and future, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today (December 1, 2005) said people should do away with traditional inhibitions on discussing matters related to sex and all sections of the society should be made aware of the disease.

Singh also said that AIDS control programme needed to get out of the narrow confines of health department and become an integral part of all government departments.

"India is today at the threshold of a major demographic transition with the age profile of population favouring youth.

Our comparative advantage is increasigly a cheap and skilled labour force and a rising saving rate," he said at the 'National Convention of HIV/AIDS for Youth Leaders of Political Parties'.

"But what if we begin to lose our youth to this disease? This will have serious consequences for our society, our economy and indeed our future," he warned saying youth were often the highest risk segment.

Thus, youth leaders should fully comprehend the need to educate young men and women about the modes of transmission, he said asking the youth to make a commitment to lead a healthy and safe sexual life.

"This is particularly important given our traditional inhibitions about discussing such matters within our families and among our colleagues, quite apart from doing do in public.

This, quite obviously has to change if we are to succeed in creating awareness of the hazards of unsafe sexual practices," he said.