Call to bring down HIV/syphilis prevalence by 50% in Chittoor

Tirupati: The doctors at Primary Health Centres (PHCs) were asked to conduct awareness camps and take other steps in their areas to reduce HIV/syphilis prevalence to 50 per cent in Chittoor district.

A district-level workshop on 'Elimination of parent to child transmission of HIV and syphilis' was held at SV Medical College here on Tuesday for PHC staff. Addressing the workshop, the District Medical and Health Officer (DM&HO) Dr B Ramagiddaiah has said that it was unfortunate that the newborn babies are also getting HIV/syphilis from their young parents.

He said that though the mother is having these diseases treatment is available to see that it should not transmit to her child. It is the duty of doctors to see that both mother and child are to be safe in this regard.

District Coordinator of Hospital Services (DCHS) Dr P Saralamma said that every pregnant lady should undergo all types of blood tests. Once they are tested HIV/syphilis positive, doctors should take preventive steps so that it should not transmit to the child.

Additional DM&HO (Aids & Leprosy) Dr C Aruna Sulochana Devi directed that no HIV or syphilis patient should be discriminated, and doctors should render services to them with the slogan 'No stigma–No discrimination'.

They should be properly counselled and PHC doctors have to take care of their follow-up so that their immunity level be increased. Dr C Hanumantha Rao, Dr Bhanuprakash, Dr A Nirmalamma and medical officers participated in the workshop.