DSACS distributes 1.68 lakh condoms free of cost in G B Road

The Delhi State Aids Control Society (DSACS) has distributed over 1.68 lakh condoms free of cost in G B Road red light area in the national capital, after the women commission raised the issue of crisis in availability of contraceptive.
"Out of an estimated monthly requirement of 12 lakh condoms across Delhi, about four lakh are required at G B Road. DSACS has not been receiving supply of condoms from from National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) since May 2015. In view of the present crisis at GB Road, DSACS has provided 1,68,008 free condoms...
"Out of these 1,00,800 condoms were supplied by AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) and 62,208 by Reckitt Benckiser company. We are in a process of getting more condoms from these sources till the regular supply comes from NACO," said Additional Project Director P S Nayyer.

Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal had earlier sought a report on the current supply of condoms to GB Road from DSACS, and had written to NACO, seeking to know the reasons for the gap in supply of condoms in red light areas.
Under the phase-IV of National AIDS Control Programme, DSACS said, it was supposed to receive 12 lakh free condoms per month from NACO, which is a division of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
"The gap in supply has resulted in a severe crisis at GB Road and has exposed the sex workers and others to potentially high risk of contraction of HIV," Maliwal said.

The Delhi government too had directed its Central Procurement Agency (CPA) to urgently procure four lakh contraceptives for distribution among the sex workers. The government will make these condoms available at its dispensary at Ajmeri Gate.
The direction was given by Health Minister Satyendra Jain after he held a meeting with the DCW chairperson at the Delhi Secretariat recently.