Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Saturday said that durable peace and climate of trust could provide the right kind of atmosphere in South Asia to intensify the efforts directed against the scourge as deadly as AIDS. He was speaking at a dinner, hosted in honour of delegates attending the international conference against HIV/AIDS, at the Prime Minister House.
Calling for global collaborative effort to contain and control AIDS, the Prime Minister stressed the need for greater co-operation among the Asian countries to stem the rising tide in all the regions of the world especially in South Asia.
He said the commitment to check and control AIDS must be backed with solid action to neutralise the threat. Shaukat Aziz said South Asia is home to one fifth of humanity and as such there should be greater preventive action to make it a safer region for children and future generation.
"Awareness of the gravity of the situation is the first step which must be followed by appropriate remedial measures," said the Prime Minister. He said, "We must take care of the preventive as well as curative aspects."
Shaukat Aziz said it is heartening to note that parliamentarians of so many countries have taken up this cause. The Prime Minister said economic prosperity, durable peace, sincerity, flexibility and magnanimity would provide just the right kind of climate to mount the struggle against HIV/AIDS.
The Prime Minister also lauded the efforts of Dr Nafis Sadik and Noor Jehan Panezi for creating awareness among the people on the issue of HIV/AIDS.
The dinner reception was attended by delegates, members of the parliament and senior officials.