|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Monday, 12 April 2004 |
 |
|
 |
News | |
| News Business Features Editorial Security Politics World Letters Sports Obituaries
|
Trincomalee correspondent Provincial Director of Health Service, North East Province Dr. S. Kumaravelpillai addressing a meeting of the provincial HIV/AIDS committee meeting held at the Provincial Health Ministry auditorium, Trincomalee, said Sri Lanka is a low profile country with less than one per cent of HIV/AIDS infected patients. In order to maintain this standards it is necessary to conduct awareness programs to change the behaviour of a certain section of the sexually risky population. It is very important to rid the country of HIV virus. He said voluntary counselling and testing HIV virus is necessary for the prevention of mother to child transmission. Sharing needles by intravenous drug users and the use of contaminated injection needles is necessary to prevent HIV/AIDS. Sri Lanka is in a fortunate position still being able to prevent a large-scale epidemic like in most other countries. But the window of opportunity is closing rapidly. Effective leadership is key to prevent an epidemic. Dr. Kumaravelpillai continuing said, those who migrate for employment abroad are susceptible for sexual abuse and unsafe sexual practices. Half the people with HIV infection are migrant workers. Many single women working in Free Trade Zones are also subjected to sexual abuse. A survey has disclosed that 25 per cent of the young women working in the free trade zones have boy friends and 16 per cent are reported having sexual relations. Poverty and the need for money ushers people into migrant labour and also as commercial sex workers. It is estimated that about 30,000 women/girls and about 15,000 boys work in commercial sex in Sri Lanka. There is an estimated 30,000 drug addicts of whom 2 per cent inject drugs and others use orally. According to reports only about 10 per cent of men in the age groups of 15 to 49 years use condoms. He added, the word AIDS is taboo in many schools in Sri Lanka. Discussion on sex itself is taboo even during biology classes. Teachers are embarrassed to talk about sex at classes. HIV infected people in this country are treated as outcasts and morally corrupt. As a result people are reluctant to be tested for HIV infection. District committees are to be formed in all the eight districts. District Secretaries will be the chairman of the district committees. Other members will be the Deputy Provincial Director of Health Services, medical officers, representatives of NGOs, Epidemiologists, Medical Officers of Maternity and Child Health. Dr. Kumaravelpillai said the North East Province may have more HIV infected people because of the returning refugees from South India where the prevalence is very high. The returnees can get infected and transfer the infection to unsuspected innocent people in the North East Province. He said the medical officers of health specially in the Jaffna, Manner and Trincomalee districts have been advised specially to canvass the returnees for voluntary screening for HIV infection. Under this program facilities will be provided for voluntary screening in those districts. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
Produced by Lake House |
