Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has expressed serious concerns over rapidly the increasing HIV/AIDS cases in the country. Around 72,000 AIDS and 2,741 HIV-positive cases have so far been reported in Pakistan.
Terming the crippling disease as a major scourge, threatening the humanity, Shaukat Aziz on Tuesday directed the Ministry of Health to use all possible means to effectively check and control the spread of the HIV/AIDS cases.
He was chairing a meeting to review the 'National HIV/AIDS Control Program' at the Prime Minister House.
The Prime Minister told the Health Ministry to create more awareness through education and by using mass media, mobilising non-governmental organisations, and communities. He also asked for implementing the project through public and private partnership.
Shaukat said that provincial governments should be asked to extend their full support to National HIV/AIDS Control Program to make it fully successful and result-oriented.
He said he was stunned on being told that the number of HIV-positive cases numbered 442 in the federal capital, 485 in Punjab, 1,174 in Sindh, 410 in NWFP, 210 in Balochistan and 27 in AJK/NA.
He said the number of patients was increasing as they were going into denial. Although he appreciated the progress achieved by the Ministry of Health but warned that much more efforts were needed to control the spread of the deadly disease.
He directed the Health Ministry to focus on multi-sectoral interventions and behaviour change communication and advocacy.
The Prime Minister reviewed progress of the HIV/AIDS program launched at a cost of Rs 28 million. The program aims at preventing HIV/AIDS from becoming established in vulnerable population, preventing HIV/AIDS spreading to the general adult population and reducing HIV/AIDS-related stigma and discrimination.
The program focuses on increasing prevalence of safe behaviours among vulnerable population, increasing knowledge and awareness of HIV among general public, ensuring blood safety by preventing HIV/Hepatitis B & C prevalence and increasing infection control and strengthening the capacity of HIV/AIDS prevention programs the in public and private sectors.
The Prime Minister was informed that four treatment centres for people living with HIV/AIDS with free ARVs had started functioning, one each in the four provincial capitals and Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences.
The meeting was told that the Blood Safety Ordinance has been promulgated and respectively blood authorities have been established.
The meeting was attended, among others, by Health Minister Muhammad Nasir Khan, Minister of State Shahnaz Sheikh and Secretary Health, Syed Anwer Mehmood.