The Hindu : New Delhi News : AIDS control programme comes for criticism

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Aug 05, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

AIDS control programme comes for criticism

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, AUG.4. The much publicised AIDS Control Programme of the Delhi Government has not only failed to achieve its target in various sectors but its working and functioning has also come under severe scrutiny, according to the latest report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) tabled in the Delhi Assembly today.

Criticising the Delhi Government and the programme implementation agency, the Delhi State Aids Control Society, the CAG has highlighted serious shortcomings in the implementation of the whole programme in the Capital.

The report has pointed out that the Delhi State Aids Control Society had failed to maintain the supply of condoms during 1998-2003 period. In a survey conducted by ORG Centre for Social Research, only 2.4 per cent non-brothel based commercial sex workers reported consistent use of condoms with non-paying partners. The Society could establish only one clinic for Sexually transmitted Diseases (STD) against a target of 30 during the last five years. Out of a total of 11 STD clinics in existence, only one reported adequate supply of medicines. Further, only 14 per cent of the general population who suffered from symptoms of STD approached Government hospitals and clinics for HIV/AIDS or STD while 23 per cent took no treatment at all.

Further, the report said the sero positivity rate of HIV infection in Delhi, which was 3.81 per thousand in December 1999, had increased to 18.87 pr thousand. The number of AIDS cases in Delhi had registered an increase from 359 in December 1999 to 862 till October 2003. The Delhi State Aids Control Society strengthened only seven out of 41 blood banks functioning in Delhi.

No training in blood transfusion practices was given to blood bank officers and laboratory technicians by the Society till March 2003. The report said four of the 13 diesel generator sets supplied by National Aids Control Organisation to blood testing centres in 1998 were lying idle for over five years.

According to a report obtained by NACO, only 14 per cent of the STD clinics, which sent their reports, indicated adequate availability of essential medicines for treatment of STD cases. An audit analysis indicated that out of the 11 STD clinics in existence, only seven had reported the position of adequacy of medicines to NACO. Of these, only one STD clinic actually reported adequate availability of the required medicines.

A Baseline Behavioural Surveillance Survey (BBSS) conducted by the ORG Centre for Social Research found that only 14 per cent of the general population of Delhi who suffered from any symptom of STD during the previous 12 months had approached Government hospitals and clinics for treatment while 23 per cent took no treatment. According to an evaluation study of doctors conducted by the Department of Social Work, University of Delhi, almost one third of the respondents admitted that they were not aware of any guidelines for STD care and management. The responses on treatment of STD patients on a few aspects like partner notification, compliance and treatment were also not very encouraging.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

New Delhi