Alumni Lecture Series II – Social Work & HIV/AIDS

The first lecture of the Alumni Lecture Series II was held on 3^rd December 2021. It was on the theme, ‘Social Work and HIV/AIDS’. The resource person for the session was Ms. Maria Sonia Louis, Counsellor and Researcher. She has experience in working with HIV/AIDS affected women and children as a Medical Social Worker. She has also worked as Counsellor for advanced stage cancer patients (Palliative Care). The programme began with the invocation song by Elina from 1^st BSW. Marryam from 3^rd BSW, the emcee welcomed the gathering and gave a brief introduction to the session. The moderator, Shravani from 3^rd BSW introduced the speaker and familiarised the audience to the topic. After which, the speaker, Ms. Maria Louis addressed the gathering. She threw light on the meaning and transmission of HIV/AIDS, the misconceptions among people regarding the disease, treatment and its preventive measures. She emphasised on the role of social workers while working with people who are suffering from HIV/AIDS. She highlighted the importance of counselling and the role of palliative care in HIV/AIDS. The lecture was an eye opener for the budding social workers who were present. The moderator gave the concluding remarks. The session ended with the vote of thanks by Ann Maria, President of SWSA.