Girija Thayi, Joint Director (Infrastructure), Karnataka State AIDS Prevention Society, on Friday said everyone should join hands to work towards creating a HIV-free India by 2030.

She was speaking while presiding over a monthly progress review meeting of AIDS control centres in Dakshina Kannada at the office of the District Health and Family Welfare Officer.

Dr. Thayi urged the public to cooperate with various departments, the AIDS Prevention Society, and the Health Department to achieve the goal. Raising awareness about AIDS among the general public is the primary duty of the staff, and building a HIV-free India is a collective responsibility, she said.

Earlier, Dr. Thayi and her team visited the Integrated Counselling and Testing Centres at government hospitals in Belthangady and Puttur, the Government Urban Community Health Centre in Ullal, and Government Wenlock Hospital, among others.