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HIV/ AIDS

Condom plan to zero in on Punjab (The Tribune-3 August 2010)

The National AIDS Control Organisation today launched the third phase of Condom Social
Marketing Programme (CSMP), with focus on low-prevalence states of Punjab and Haryana.

NACO is launching the new phase to reinvigourate the programme after the National AIDS
Control Programme-III failed to score much by way of behavioural changes among high-risk
groups through the use of condoms.

"The campaign has to be renewed in the high-prevalence states, recording a small decline in
cases of HIV/AIDS. This time, the focus would be on bettering the reach in rural areas,"
announced K Chandramouli, launching the programme here at India Habitat Centre.

Among sections vulnerable to sexually trasmitted infections, truckers' population constitutes a

major chunk in the low-prevalance states and NACO is in talks with truckers along with other
high-risk groups, including female sex workers, homosexuals and drug-injecting users across the
identified districts with a view to increasing the demand of condoms.

As per NACO's behavioural surveillance survey, the regular use of condoms stands at a low 41.8
per cent even though condom awareness is believed to be as high as 81.8 per cent in the general
populace. Further, going through some of the specific high-risk groups like clients of sex
workers, the use of condoms registered a worrying 13.4 per cent despite awareness about
safeguarding oneself from HIV infection.

For ensuring consistent condom usage, the CSMP III would concentrate on bettering condom
availability and access, especially in rural areas, which would have 4.45 outlets, said NACO joint
secretary Aradhana Johri.

Besides, out of the eight lakh outlets selling condoms at subsidised costs, five lakh would be
non-traditional outlets like grocery shops, beetle shops, auto workshops, etc, she added.

Over a period of time during 2002 and 2007, there has been a decline in the number of people
living with HIV/AIDS from 27.3 to 23.1 respectively while the number of adults diagnosed with
it has dipped from 0.45 per cent to 0.34 per cent during the same period.

Given the fact that acceptance is still a problem in many of the areas, multi-media messages and
campaign would be a significant bet to augment the figures of adoption of safe practices.
The CSMP II managed to achieve the target sales of 32 crore condoms within the stipulated year
(2009-2010) and the well-performing states include Karnataka, Tamil Naidu, Maharashtra, and
Andra Pradesh to a lesser extent.