Puducherry has a low prevalence of HIV/AIDS: Minister

Puducherry, Feb 21 (UNI) The Union Territory of Puducherry has a low HIV/AIDS prevalence rate from its earlier category of medium prevalence, health minister E Valsaraj said here today.

Inaugurating the joint review workshop on the progress and performance of projects of the National Rural Health Mission at Puducherry with focus on maternal health care here Mr Valsaraj said AIDS control measures in Puducherry were in progress and awareness among the women was 97 per cent as per the NFHS surevey-II.

He said HIV prevalence in patients with STD have been effectively reduced from 5.80 to 2.02 and in pregnent women it reduced brought from 0.90 to 0.25 and sustained during the last three years.

The HIV prevalence in diagnostic and voluntary blood donors has also come down to 30.86 from 39.35, he said adding that over 81 per cent of the health staff have been trained in the prevention of HIV and AIDS.

Stating that the integral service delivery of community health care, control of communicable disease and health awareness in the Union Territory were one of the best in the country, Mr Valsaraj said providing ante-natal check-up, immunisation of children and safe delivery were all assessed to be over and above 97 per cent of the popultation and added immunisation coverage of the neonatal health was also assessed to be at 98 per cent.

Puducherry has achieved the distinction of crossing the sex barrier and is second in the country to have more female population than male, he said adding the administration was implementing reproductive and child health programmes by decentralised area specific approaches in planning, implementation and monitoring of the family welfare programme.

Mr Valsaraj said the national maternity benefit scheme now being implemented by the State Health Mission, has been effectively implemented. So far, 1436 eligible mothers were provided benefits to the extent of Rs 983500.

He said it was only in Puducherry that individual health cardS were being issued and more than 70 per cent of the programme has been completed.

UNI