Media Dailogue with HIV Positives

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Media Dailogue with HIV Positives

Sindh AIDS Control Program (SACP) celebrates World AIDS Day 2011 to mark World AIDS Day 2011 arranged a dialogue between Print and Electronic Media with HIV Positives a recently at a local hotel in Karachi with the theme of the Getting to Zero. The aim of the dialogue is to reduce stigma and discrimination against the people living with HIV & AIDS as well as equipping the participants with all the necessary tools.

Dr. Khalid Sheikh, Additional Secretary for Development, Health Department said Government of Sindh is working hard for the betterment in the life of people living with HIV/Aids and prevention of the disease by promoting awareness.

Government of Sindh had approved PC1 costing Rs.637 million for three years to strengthen the prevention, management and rehabilitation components related to HIV/AIDS.

He further informed that an amount of Rs80 million would be released during the current financial year. The tenders had already been invited through advertisements for different components and schemes planned under the new PC-1.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Qamar Abbas, Deputy Program Manager, Sindh AIDS Control Program, said that HIV and AIDS had become a universal problem and a great challenge for Pakistan having more than 100,000 people living with HIV & AIDS. Epidemiological trends of HIV infections in Sindh were not much different from that of the rest of the country. Pakistan has entered the concentrated phase of the epidemic with the first outbreak among injecting drug users in Larkana. The concentrated phase of the epidemic among injecting drug users with about 30pc reporting with the infection, while female sex workers had also been found positive for HIV infections, according to a recent survey conducted under a foreign agency, details of which were to be released soon.

However, he said, Sindh had one positive aspect as people tested positive for HIV or belonging to the high risk groups had started sharing their issues with NGOs and the media. We have, on the list of registered patients, such people who had been receiving treatment for eight to 10 years and living a normal life and doing jobs.

Dr. Suresh Kumar, Special Secretary to Provincial Health Department also spoke on the occasion.

2017-04-26T12:35:22+00:00