Assessment of Red Ribbon Express Train in reducing Vulnerability among Young Population towards HIV / AIDS in India: Evidences from Concurrent Evaluation

Youths are a priority age group for the policy makers, due to the fact that they are at higher risk to HIV/ADS and STIs. Their less knowledge and risky behavior may lead to make them more vulnerable. Government of India launched a nation-wide campaign, namely the Red Ribbon Express Train to create awareness among general population. The present study examined the impact of the second round of this intervention on increasing comprehensive knowledge and awareness about testing facilities. Findings reveals that youth have less knowledge about linkages between HIV/AIDS and testing facility as compare to adults, moreover, youth aged 15-19 years are found to be at higher risk due to having less knowledge of HIV/AIDS. The impact assessment findings suggest that overall RRE has been successful in increasing the knowledge levels in all concerned variables, and the average treatment effect is found to be 12 percent which is consistent in different models. The paper recommends reaching out to those segments of the youth population which are more vulnerable such as females, illiterate and those who are not exposed to any form of media to achieve better results in its next rounds.