Tanzanian delegates studying QC anti-AIDS drive

The Quezon City government has played host to a nine-man delegation from the Tanzania Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs (MOJCA), which is embarking on a one-week study tour hoping to develop laws on the prevention and control of the dreaded HIV/AIDS virus.

Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr., who personally welcomed the delegates at the City Hall, described the visit as vital not only in the effort of addressing the major health threats pose by the disease, but in yielding mutually beneficial results for the two cities, particularly in the effort of strengthening cultural and social ties.

The group earlier visited the Department of Health and the Occupation Safety and Health Center along North Avenue.

The mayor informed the delegates about the various measures adopted by the city government in its effort to curb the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, particularly the HIV virus.

First among these is the ordinance that created the QC Sexually Transmitted Diseases/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (STD/AIDS) Council in December 1999.

The council, chaired by the mayor, was primarily created to oversee the proper planning, integration and coordination of programs and services on the prevention and control of STD and AIDS diseases being implemented by government and non-government organizations in the city.

Aside from the legislative measures adopted by the city council, the mayor also informed the delegates about the various efforts undertaken by the city health department in its effort to prevent and control the spread of STD and AIDS.

These include the close monitoring of fun houses operating in the city and the regular examination and checking of those working on said establishments.

Joining the mayor in welcoming the delegates were Councilors Ariel Inton and Francisco Calalay and city health officials, led by Dr. Ma. Paz Ugalde and Dr. Antonietta Inumerable.

"We learned from their experience and they also learned from us, particularly on the ordinances passed by the council," Inton said. – Perseus Echeminada