Colombo, Nov 17 (NIA) – Sri Lanka is relentlessly monitoring the trends and making timely interventions in its efforts to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030, as part of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) said on Thursday.
The UNFPA said that it supported the Health Ministry’s efforts to implement a five year National Condom Strategy 2016-2020 as the correct and consistent use of condoms was one of the most effective means of preventing sexual transmission of HIV.
The UNFPA said that it also supported Sri Lanka’s National STD/AIDS Control Programme (NSACP) in developing HIV/AIDS guides for Primary Health Care Workers and those working in condom programming, with the objective to equip officials with the knowledge and skills to improve their awareness on condom use among communities.
“I am happy to note that the Sri Lankan Government has engaged closely with UNFPA from the start of the journey in ensuring a Comprehensive Condom Programming is carried out in Sri Lanka,” UNFPA Country Representative for Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Alain Sibenaler, said.
“We are proud to have supported Sri Lanka’s first Situation Assessment of Condom Programming, which was carried out last year, and UNFPA stands committed in continuing to support the Government in implementing the National Condom Strategy 2016-2020, which will enable Sri Lanka to ensure the reproductive rights of people in the country.”
Sri Lanka has recorded a drop in HIV AIDS prevalence when compared to other South Asian countries, the Global Fund said recently.
Sri Lanka’s National STD Eradication Unit, recently asserted that the majority of victims infected with HIV/AIDS in the island nation were between the age group of 25 to 45.
The Health Ministry said that the spread of the disease was due to the tourism industry, use of drugs, homosexual behavior and immigration.
Over 228 people were diagnosed with HIV AIDS in Sri Lanka in 2014.
