CHENNAI: The Chennai Corporation will organise health camps at its health posts and dispensaries to screen people for sexually-transmitted infections.

The Joint Commissioner-Health, K. Manivasan, told reporters on Thursday that the civic body would screen those in the age group of 15 to 49 for reproductive tract infections (RTI) and sexually-transmitted infections (STI). The camp were being organised by the Corporation AIDS Prevention and Control Society (CAPACS) from June 20 to July 4.

He said about 4,000 cases of HIV/AIDS had been recorded in the city so far. The prevalence of sexually-transmitted diseases (STD) was higher, which was also a reason for the high number of HIV cases.

The camps were intended for early diagnosis and treatment of RTI and STI cases, which would go a long way in containing the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Mobile camps

Patients would be screened in all 93 health posts and 64 dispensaries run by the civic body, besides 10 mobile camps deployed specially for the purpose, Dr. Manivasan said.

The STD clinics in government hospitals would also act as campsites, besides being referral centres for follow-up of cases referred from other campsites.

About 250 doctors and 1,200 paramedical staff of the Corporation underwent training to take part in the camp.

CAPACS earmarked Rs. 28 lakhs for its AIDS and STD control activities this year, with the National AIDS Control Organisation contributing Rs.12 lakhs. Seven to 12 per cent of the STD patients contract HIV, said N. Usman, Director, Department of STD, Madras Medical College.

Quoting figures from the APAC-Voluntary Health Services study and surveillance figures of the Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Society, he said STD had a community prevalence of over 10 per cent in Tamil Nadu.

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