District Collector M.Ravi Chandra has called for greater public awareness on HIV/AIDS and wanted discriminatory attitude to victims of the disease to be given up. More than the disease itself, social dishonor was a painful thing to tolerate, he observed after inaugurating the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO)'s Red Ribbon Express at Kakinada town station on Monday. Red Ribbon Express is a special train of NACO which is aimed at creating awareness on HIV/AIDS. Mr. Ravi Chandra said the Red Ribbon Express was educating the people about the importance of preventing HIV/AIDS which had assumed epidemic proportions. Only awareness and collective action would check the hazard. The occurrence of AIDS in East Godavari district could be brought down to 1.88 percent from 2.75 percent through persistent actions by the AIDS Control Department. The district has 65 Integrated Counseling and Testing Centers and two anti-retro viral therapy centers helping the victims of HIV/AIDS overcome the health problems caused by immune deficiency and psychological trauma. Kakinada Mayor Kavikondala Saroja said concerted effort was needed to eradicate HIV/AIDS just as the polio threat was almost fully checked. Red Ribbon Express coordinator Daman Ahuja, Government General Hospital superintendent MBR Sarma, DMHO D Vijay Kumar, Additional DMHO and District AIDS Control Officer M.Pavan Kumar and others were present.