By IANS,
Raipur : Concerned over the rise in cases of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) in Chhattisgarh, the health department will hold cultural programmes in rural areas to promote use of condoms, an official said Tuesday.
Ajay Pandey, project director of Chhattisgarh AIDS Control Society, said the state government will hold a series of street level meetings, dance and cultural programmes across the state to create awareness about STDs and inspire people to use condoms.
The state government has authorized an organisation, PSI, to ensure social marketing of condoms in all the 18 districts. The organisation will supply 1.7 million condoms across the state through 65,000 outlets.
Pandey said condoms are the best option to protect people from STDs and unwanted pregnancies.
Chhattisgarh has about 2,800 HIV positive people, besides 470 confirmed AIDS patients.
Health officials said the numbers compiled in December 2007 were from urban areas and did not give a picture of the vast rural belt that lacks basic infrastructure like hospitals and centres to test blood samples.