Preity Zinta to spread AIDS awareness via IPL

As the much-hyped cricket tournament IPL kicks off, Preity Zinta has decided to spread awareness about the disease using the format of the game. The actress has been appointed as the Goodwill Ambassador for the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) in India.

The actress and the Chairperson of the Kings XI Punjab team will not only raise awareness on HIV prevention, treatment, care and support, with an emphasis on women, children and the oppressed but will also support the mission of empowering people focused at especially women and girls aiming to help them to protect themselves. 

Preity has promised that all of her team members will wear red ribbons during all their matches and the team will also product a short commercial film trying to raise awareness about the disease. Moreover, the team will also donate 25% of the profit made by the sale of merchandise to the mission.

It is estimated that the percentage of HIV-infected injectibles in India stands at 15%, which is way higher than the global average of 15%. Moreover, in few areas, this percentage also goes as high as 50%.