1st December marks the World AIDS day that is globally celebrated each year to strengthen the resolve and efforts of Governments, affected and infected communities, and people from all walks of life for HIV prevention and control of infection.
It provides an opportunity to raise awareness and encourage people and organizations to join the global fight against the disease. It reminds us that HIV is preventable, HIV is treatable and HIV is eliminable. The government is strongly committed to ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030. To meet the global and national targets, government has committed handsome financial resources for HIV prevention and control. Pakistan is moving towards sustainable national financing and will continue to invest in this area.
Policies to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as enshrined in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) require informed, evidence based, efficient, and innovative programming. A location for population approach with focused targeted interventions.
We all need to join hands to deliver effective interventions to create awareness, fight stigma and discrimination, provide free of cost HIV testing and treatment facilities. Active involvement and engagement of Civil Society, NGOs, UN and development partners is needed to complement government efforts in designing and implementing HIV programs according to needs of the country.
I appreciate all those involved in the fight against HIV and AIDS and am sure that the hard work and efforts of the HIV workforce will pay dividends in terms of disease control and elimination. As we observe World AIDS Day, let us join hands to play our role in raising awareness for HIV prevention and control.
Comments
Comments are closed.