A total of 94,000 cases of HIV/AIDS have been registered across the country, Senate Standing Committee on Inter-Provincial Co-ordination (IPC) was informed on Friday. The Committee was also told that cases of Leishmania disease caused by biting of certain species of sand flies were also registered in Balochistan but there is no research on the subject. It was informed that the disease damages skin of the body and even it has the potential to completely disfigure the nose or ear of the human body.
Farooq Rehman, a medical expert from Sindh, is doing research on the disease, but there is need to call other specialists to discuss the issue in depth in the next meeting of the committee. The Committee met with Senator Farah Aqil in the chair at Parliament House on Friday. Federal Minister for inter-Provincial Co-ordination Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani, Saeeda Iqbal, Kalsoom Parveen, Dr Muhammad Farogh Naseem and others also participated in the meeting.
During the briefing of the Committee, it was told that as many as 94,000 cases of HIV/AIDS have been registered in the country. Director General Health Dr Qazi Abdus Saboor said that as many as 17 centers have been established in the country for treatment to the patients of HIV/AIDS. He said that most of the cases have been registered in Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad and Gujarat. He said that the patients are being treated with global funds.
The committee sought details that how much global funds have been distributed to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in next meeting. The Committee also showed serious concern over non-transfer of powers to the provinces under 18th Constitutional Amendment. The Committee was told that as many as 18 ministries have been devolved to the provinces but they have no infrastructure to accommodate them.
Responding, Federal Minister for inter-Provincial Co-ordination Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani said that the Ministry is working to transfer power to the provinces under 18th Constitutional Amendment but the process would take time. He said that all the power under this amendment would be transferred to the provinces.
About Polio, the Committee was informed that a total of 22 cases of polio were registered in the country in 11 districts. He said that a total of one million mosquito nets were distributed among the people across the country. The Committee recommended that polio drops should be given to the children who cross the border of Afghanistan and enter Pakistan every now and then.