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“Work towards AIDS-free Puducherry”

PUDUCHERRY: Chief Minister N. Rangasamy has said that the government allotted Rs. four crore for the Health Department this year to create awareness of HIV and check its spread. He emphasised the need to work towards AIDS-free Puducherry.

Inaugurating the Red Ribbon Express programme at the railway station here on Saturday, Mr. Rangasamy said the department had received an allocation of Rs. 3 crore last year.

“Puducherry has 5.5 lakh people in the 15-60 age group. In the last three months, 60,000 people underwent testing for HIV and 340 tested positive. The prevalence of HIV/AIDS is very low and this should be further reduced,” Mr. Rangasamy said.

With increase in tourist inflow and entry of industries, the movement of people from other States was increasing. “We should see that there is no opportunity for HIV transmission,” he said.

Emphasising the need to discover medicines to cure HIV/AIDS, Mr. Rangasamy said preventive measures were the need of the hour.

Member of Parliament M. Ramadass said Puducherry accounted for 9,200 HIV/AIDS-affected people in the last 20 years. The prevalence was higher in villages, he added.“According to Population Commission of India’s report, Puducherry was leading in various indicators of health than other States as in per capita expenditure on health, birth and death rates,” Mr. Ramadass said.

Director of Health Dilip Kumar Baliga said chances for transmission of HIV through blood was very less as the Union government had streamlined the blood banks across the country. Collector G. Theeva Neethi Das said the prevalence of HIV among lorry drivers has been reduced to a large extent.

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