AGARTALA, August 12 (TIWN): A mega voluntary blood donation programme was organized by Tripura State AIDS Control Society, Health and Family Welfare Department, Government of Tripura in collaboration with Tripura State NSS Cell to celebrate the International Youth Day 2014 at Agartala town hall here today.

While speaking in the programme minister of health and family welfare department Badal Choudhury said that if we use clean blood, we would be able to check contagious diseases and such efforts would also save precious lives. Saying that the voluntary blood donation movement became a festival in Tripura, the minister urged young people to generously donate blood to save lives.

According to National Aids Control Organisation, only five states in India have the distinction of over 80% blood collection through voluntary donation against the national average of 55 to 60%. The states are Tripura, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Punjab and Maharashtra. Minister of youth affairs and sports Sahid Choudhuri said that the theme of International Youth Day 2014 is "Youth and Mental Health" under the slogan 'Mental Health Matters'.

The theme was chosen to raise the issue on how youth with mental health conditions can often experience stigma and discrimination, which in turn can lead to exclusion and/or discourage people from seeking help for fear of being negatively 'labeled'.

Therefore, efforts to overcome this stigma are needed to ensure that young people with mental health conditions can lead full and healthy lives free of isolation and unnecessary shame, and that they openly seek the services and support they need, he mentioned.