The ministry of health has reported 2,462 HIV/AIDS positive cases in the country whereas about 286 patients have so far been confirmed as AIDS victims in all the four provinces. It was also learnt that men are biologically more prone to the disease than women. Federal Minister for Health, Muhammad Nasir Khan stated this while addressing a press conference here on Thursday.
He said that health ministry is planning to form a federal committee for combating HIV/AIDS, which will co-ordinate with all the four provinces and other stakeholders to control the disease at early stages.
Although, the HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in Pakistan is very low but it is a matter of grave concern for us that Pakistan is still high-risk country, the minister remarked.
He further said that nearly 4.5 million people are infected with the disease in Southern India alone besides 39.4 million people world-wide.
The minister also announced that National Aids Control Programme (NACP) of ministry of health in collaboration with Amal Development Network is organising 'First Asia/Pacific Women, Girls and HIV/AIDS Best Practices Conference' from November 29 to December 01 at Islamabad. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz will inaugurate the international conference to be attended by over 300 delegates from 10 most vulnerable countries, he added.
Nasir Khan said that the basic objective of the conference is to understand the impact of HIV/AIDS on women and girls in the Asia/Pacific region, to determine the further impact of the disease in the region, and review strategies to reverse.
The conference aims at bringing together eminent national and regional speakers, leading researchers and clinicians, programme managers and participants from across Asia/Pacific and from around the world for sharing their HIV/AIDS experiences and best practices related to women and girls, Nasir Khan maintained.
This will enable the national leaders, policymakers, programme managers, members of the civil society, researchers, and development partners to review the present strategies and methodologies to plan future requirements. Through this conference, the minister said we also hope to draw media attention towards a positive event-taking place in our country. He added that Pakistan has not been complacent in this arena, and had been working towards translating the commitments made in the UNGASS declaration, the Millennium Conference and the Saarc heads of state conference, into action plans.
The commitment of the government is obvious from the fact that 85 percent of the total spending on prevention and control of AIDS is through the government kitty, he said adding the 'First Asia/Pacific Women, Girls & HIV/AIDS Best Practices Conference' will set the lead for a series to be held in the Asia/Pacific region.