Delhi: Insufficient facilities to control STD in Delhi

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Delhi: Insufficient facilities to control STD in Delhi: CAG

New Delhi, Aug 6 Delhi is ill-equipped to control sexually

transmitted diseases (STD), says Comptroller and Auditor General of

India, and castigates the Sheila Dikshit government for it.

In its Report for 2002-03, CAG points out the shortfalls in setting

up STD clinics as well as in supply of both condoms and essential

drugs by the Delhi government.

The number of AIDS cases in the capital increased from 359 in

December 1999 to 862 in October 2003, while the sero-positive rate

of HIV infection rose from 3.81 per thousand in 1999 to 18.87 per

thousand till 2002 end in the cases surveyed by the National

Sentinel Surveillance, CAG notes.

It says the supply of condoms fell short of the requirement during

1998-99 to 2002-03. In a survey conducted by the ORG Centre for

Social Research in 2002, only 23.4 per cent non-brothel based

commercial sex workers reported consistent use of condoms with non-

paying partners.

Observing that STD increases the chances of HIV infection and its

control forms a key component strategy in the battle against AIDS,

CAG regrets that the Delhi State Aids Control Society could add only

one STD clinic during the five-year period against the target of 30

clinics.

The Society strengthened only seven of the 41 blood banks

functioning in the capital. No training in blood transfusion

practices was given to blood bank officers and laboratory

technicians till March 2003, CAG says.

An audit review of the implementation of the National AIDS Control

Programmee revealed that the Society could finalise the first batch

of eight NGOs for priority targeted intervention for groups at high

risk only by September 2001, three years after its formation, it

adds.

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