Tamil Nadu: AIDS counselling centres in villages

[Guest guest]

AIDS counselling centres in villages

Staff Reporter

Over 40 per cent of the newly infected are women

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Society (TANSACS) has

planned to set up voluntary counselling and testing centres in rural

areas also, bringing the total to 700 in the State.

It already has 275 integrated counselling centres. In the first year

of training healthcare professionals in treating people with AIDS,

the State Government had spent Rs. 3 crore and covered 22,000 of the

targeted 66,000 people, said P.K. Rajendhran, joint director

(surveillance), TANSACS said on Saturday inaugurating a two-day

workshop on oral healthcare and HIV/AIDS.

" Last year, we have identified 50,000 cases, " Dr. Rajendhran said.

Of the over 50 lakh HIV positive people in the country, four lakh

were identified in Tamil Nadu alone. Of the 1,20,000 people living

with AIDS in the country 52,000 were in Tamil Nadu. While in the

previous decade only 25 per cent women were found infected, now over

40 per cent of the newly infected were women. Most of them were

housewives.

He told the gathering of dentists that TANSACS worked with 59

organisations, targeting high-risk groups while preventive

activities covered 80 lakh school children. Using " calendar-type

learning materials " the organisation held awareness programmes in

180 women's self-help groups reaching out to 30 lakh women.

Updating skills

Bimal , epidemiologist, Centre for Disease Control, Chennai,

lauded the Indian Dental Association for organising the workshop and

said few skill development courses were held for practising

dentists. Such workshops would update the skill and knowledge of the

dentists. " In 12-13 years of my experience the epidemic has not died

down. It is a complicated issue. Unlike in the past we treat sex

workers, gays and homosexuals in an STD clinic. " He said medical

practitioners did not have enough skills in asking questions related

to risk behaviours. Doctors should ask questions and pick up their

risk practices to help prevent further spread of AIDS.

" Over 90 per cent do not know their status. Dentists must make a

risk assessment and enquire into the family details of a patient who

has been away from home for a long time or is in a job that involves

a lot of travel. "

Ajey Bharadwaj, public health professional fro AVNI, Mumbai and V.

Rangarajan, branch secretary, IDA Madras branch, spoke.

http://www.hindu.com/2006/03/12/stories/2006031215400400.htm