Beat HIV/AIDS on a computer

Clicking to destroy demons, escape terror or hit a six in cricket are common video game scenarios on mobile phones.

Now an Indian software firm says its also a great platform to fight HIV/AIDS and plans to take its campaign global.

New Delhi-based gaming company ZMQ Software Systems released four games as part of a fund raising effort for HIV/AIDS awareness that can be accessed by users of Reliance Infocomm, one of India's largest private cellphone service providers.

"The games are now very popular," the company's chief technology officer Hilmi Quraishi said, adding that 2.9 million people had downloaded the games between their December launch and April 30 this year.

"Games will educate mobile subscribers and create awareness while reducing stigma and discrimination," he said. "We have a target of getting at least 13-14 million people to download the games" by the end of this year.

The games include cricket featuring the Demons XI and Safety XI where the safety team is set a target while balls appear in form of condoms, faithful partners, information on HIV and the symbolic AIDS red ribbon.

The team, however, need to watchout for googlies and doosra balls -- unsafe sex, infected blood transfusion, infected syringes and the company of bad friends.

"Ribbon Chase" on the other hand requires the player to deliver messages to different cities of the world while being pursued by the HIV virus.

"The idea is to deliver the message on prevention before the HIV reaches the city," said Quraishi.

The third game "Messenger" has a dove, the recognised symbol of peace and love, flying from village to village, with condoms and red ribbons and the more condoms and ribbons distributed the higher the score of the gamer.

Finally, "Quiz with Babu" displays a young lad with a formidable amount of information on HIV/AIDS and users are challenged to test their knowledge against his.

"Gamers have to answer 10 questions correctly with three lifelines to spare during each game. We have a database of 550 questions which ensures there is enough entertainment while learning about AIDS," Quraishi said.

Reliance Infocomm will hand over an undisclosed amount of the revenues generated by its users who dial up to download the games to projects helping people infected with HIV/AIDS, Quraishi said.

According to the Cellular Operators Association of India, the country is adding 4 to 5 million subscribers every month, or as many as 60 million a year.

The games were developed by a 12-member team over 15 months and are collectively christened "Freedom HIV/AIDS".

Quraishi admitted that his company's efforts were a drop in the ocean, but he said that recent reports on the spread of the virus prompted him to act.

A UNAIDS report last month said an estimated 5.7 million Indians were infected by the end of 2005, more than the estimated 5.5 million people in South Africa.

"After reading about how the disease has spread in India, we as a company decided to do something about it."

Quraishi's brother, Subhi, chief executive officer of ZMQ Software Systems, said mobile phones had become "one of the most commonly used tools for communication amongst the common people".

"We have people across the board using the mobiles, school children, adolescents, adults. And we are not talking of the urban population only. Even in rural areas the cell phone has become popular.

"It is our corporate social responsibility to spread HIV/AIDS awareness using latest technologies and that is why we have undertaken this project," said Subhi Quraishi.

The firm is planning to launch the games globally, converting the content and language compatible to regions of Africa, South East Asia, Central Asia and Latin America by September 1.

"We are adapting the games in Swahili and many east East European languages," Quraishi said adding, "we will donate revenue generated from the initiative for the welfare of people living with HIV/AIDS."