The Chapala municipal government and the local branch of Jalisco’s Health Ministry are collaborating on a week-long public health campaign geared for sexually active women ages 25 to 60.
Free pap tests and screenings for HIV-AIDS will be offered daily, June 16 through 20, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at all of the community’s Centro de Salud clinics.
Results of the Papanicolaou test to detect potentially pre-cancerous and cancerous processes in the endocervical canal will be available about two weeks after the smear is collected. The turn-around time for fingertip prick blood tests to look for posible signs of HIV-AIDS infection is 15 minutes. Patients whose initial testing indicates a need for more advanced clinical laboratory exams will be provided appropriate guidance and assistance.
The state health department is also working with City Hall to promote a local dengue fever prevention campaign. Households are advised to help eliminate potential breeding grounds for disease-carrying mosquitoes. Prevention tips include keeping roof tops and patios clean and free of junk that may accumulate rain water, covering water tanks and cisterns, dumping stagnant water out of flower pots and trimming weeds that crop up around the house and garden.
Health authorities have not registered any recent cases of dengue in the lakeside area. Traps are being set out at 84 locations in Chapala to monitor the presence of Aedes aegypti and other mosquito species that transmit the debilitating disease. Neighborhood fumigation programs will be activated if an infestation problem arises.