As per a report, the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) has to send the Delhi State AIDS Control Society 12 lakh condoms per month, but for the past four months there is no supply in GB Road.
Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal has sought the report from the NACO on the reasons for gap in supply of condoms in red light areas of the city and has asked it to resume the supply on an urgent basis.
Ms Maliwal said about 5000 women at G B Road are at a risk of contracting HIV and many have already contracted it due to the shortage of condoms.
“During my visits to G B Road, our team got to know that sex workers have not been receiving condoms for several months from the government. This makes the sex workers and others extremely vulnerable to sexually transmitted diseases,” she wrote in her letter to NACO.
DCW in July sought a report on the current status of supply of condoms to G B Road from DSACS in which the latter stated that under the phase—IV of National AIDS Control Program they were supposed to have received 12 lakh free condoms per month from NACO, which is a division of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare but since April there is no supply.
“However, it is reported that no condoms have been received by DSACS since April, 2015, expect one time supply of 24 lakh condoms in May 2015. This has resulted in a severe crisis at G B Road and has exposed the sex workers and others to potentially high risk of contraction of HIV,” she wrote.
Asking for a detailed status report on the issue, she has asked for a detailed action plan of NACO on resumption of supply of condoms and methods that are being adopted to ensure that this crisis does not occur in future.
“DSACS has informed the commission that supply from NACO is expected to be resumed in the first week of October 2015.”
Maliwal said about 5,000 women at G B Road are at a risk of contracting HIV and many have already contracted it due to the shortage of condoms
