By IANS,
New Delhi : In a bid to curtail the spread of HIV/AIDS, the Delhi government will assess the functioning of 1,050 massage parlours in the city after 18 percent were found to be following “risky behaviour activities”, a statement said Thursday.
HIV infected people in the city will also receive free diagnostic services in Delhi government hospitals.
According to the government statement after a meeting of Delhi State AIDS Council, which is implementing the third phase of National Aids Control Program (NACP), Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has asked concerned departments to come out with a comprehensive plan to provide financial and nutritional assistance to HIV infected people.
Besides, the government will also carry out “mapping of massage parlours with an aim to assess the knowledge, behaviour, attitude and practices of the workers, clients and owners of 1,050 massage parlours and categorise them by assessment of vulnerability”.
“It was reported that 18 percent of massage parlours observed to be having risky behaviour activities. Based on this, complete intervention for massage parlours has been proposed to NACO for 2011-12,” it added.
“The third phase of NACP aims to halt and reverse the epidemic over next five years with specific objective of reducing the number of new infections by 40 percent,” it said.
Delhi has recorded 30 percent reduction in new HIV infections since 2007.