----------------------------------------------------------------------- Documented by Goa Desc Documentation Service & circulated by Goa Civic & Consumer Action Network (GOA CAN)<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Ph:2252660 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5 per cent of target population in Baina infected by STD: survey -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Despite non-funding by the Goa State AIDS Control Society (GSACS), the Mormugao Medical Foundation (MMF) seems to be actively carrying out family health awareness campaign in the neighbouring area of the red-light area at Katem-Baina.
Recently, the MMF an NGO working in the field of public health and general welfare conducted a survey at Katem-Baina to determine the number of people suffering from STD, in order to identify and treat those individuals suffering from the STD.
The survey was conducted by volunteers of MMF and was co-ordinated by the Urban Health Centre, Vasco. total of 1,187 individuals were briefed about the various types of sexually transmitted diseases.The survey indicates that about 5 per cent of the target population had been infected by STD.
Further, the survey revealed that one of the prime reason was the proximity to the infamous red-light area. The survey also indicated that most of the people affected were couples in their early 20s, with generally the males who contracted the diseases, before spreading on to their spouses.
A medical camp specially to treat STD has been organised next week at the MMF in co-ordination with the Urban Health Centre. Also, a street play has been planned by the MMF in Katem-Baina, as part of the family health awareness campaign.
The MMF programme co-ordinator Srinivasan Kumar pointed out that despite requests by the MMF to carry out targeted intervention with migrant labourers in Katem-Baina an area which is highly vulnerable to HIV/AIDS the proposal was turned down by the GSACS only on account of the NGO not meeting the criteria for three-years registration.
Further, Kumar pointed out that voluntary HIV tests conducted by the Directorate of Health Services (DHS) had a lot of people tested for HIV in the targeted area of Katem-Baina. He said MMF was of the opinion that it should be given preference to work on the targeted intervention programme irrespective of the three-year criteria.
Kumar claimed while the three-year criteria was the sole factor for the rejection of their proposal, in the past the same was waived off in cases of some NGOs working in the same field.
He also insisted that the MMF was transparent in its functioning and would take up the project proposal on a challenging base. "The MMF should be encouraged to work in the area, instead of bringing a new organisation, which would have to do the same work all over again, thereby wasting its own resources," explained Kumar. ------------------------- HERALD 19/5/03 -------------------------
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