UNAIDS Country Coordinator Oussama Tawil urged the government, semi-government and civil society organizations to join hands in fight against HIV/AIDS by creating awareness among youth about its growing threats.
Addressing a joint press conference alongwith Daniel B. Baker, UNFPA Representative and Dr. Hasan Abbas Zaheer, National Programme Manager, National AIDS Control Program (NACP), Oussama Tawil said that there is rapid rise of infections in Injecting Drug Users (IDUs) in Pakistan which are mostly youth. This requires immense effort to provide complete and correct information to the young people about the HIV/AIDS.
Many governments are facing still many challenges including people access to information about HIV/AIDS and low practice of adopting precautionary measures in healthcare units. Around 33 million people are affected worldwide from HIV/AIDS while among them 45% are between 15 to 24 year of age. He said resources are being utilized and more funds are being collected to control HIV/AIDS around the globe. In Asia around 5 million people are affected with HIV/AIDS. In Pakistan injecting drug users and sex workers are main source for spreading AIDS, he said.
Besides advocacy UNAIDS is extending its technical support to mobilize communities however still large number of affected people are waiting for treatment.
Dr. Hassan Abbas Zaheer, Programme Manager, National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) said NGOs are being involved for getting better results to control HIV/AIDS in the country.
Dr. Zaheer said different strategies are being developed for different target groups as migrant workers, Injecting Drug Users and commercial sex workers are the major sources of spreading AIDS in the country.
He further said that the first HIV/AIDS case was reported in 1986 from migrant worker which is still high level group causing spread of HIV/AIDS. Besides injecting drug users are the driving force regarding HIV/AIDS in the country.
There are 5000 registered HIV patients in Pakistan however an estimated 80,000 unregistered affected people are still reluctant to register themselves. AIDS screening test facility is available at government and private laboratories.
In Gujrat blood samples of 250 persons were collected out of which 88 reported positive while after retesting 32 cases were confirmed as HIV positive. The government has started investigation about matter, he added.
The Community Support Programme (CSP), a non-governmental organization in collaboration with National AIDS Control Programme, Ministry of Health would organize speech competition amongst six higher educational institutions of Rawalpindi and Islamabad soon.
The main objective of this extra curricular activity is to improve knowledge and skills of educated youth belonging to six higher educational institutes of Rawalpindi and Islamabad for protecting themselves and others from HIV and AIDS.