On this momentous occasion of World AIDS Day, Sindh Government pledges its full support to the global initiatives in fight against HIV/AIDS that has claimed millions of lives. The theme for WAD year 2016, "Hands up for HIV Prevention" demands from all stakeholders as well as general population to speak up and share their opinion on how to fight the spread of HIV among the vulnerable population at grass root level.
I am satisfied with the performance of Health Department, and their strategy to take the interventions at grass root level through development of more than 300 Family Health Awareness Centers at Basic Health Units level. The three layered treatment strategy will accommodate the suffering community for diagnosis and treatment under one roof. This will create enabling environment important for elimination of stigma and discrimination. The reporting of higher number of HIV Positive cases from PWID (People with Injecting drugs) is an alarming sign and requires action in line of the global strategy through Opioid Substitution Therapy. We are working on this issue and hopeful to launch soon, Opioid Substitution Therapy, important for detoxification and rehabilitation of PWID Community.
I am hopeful that people will unite on a single forum to break the silence, in turn ending isolation and eliminating all hurdles in streamlining the activities and ending AIDS Epidemic by year 2030. It is quite an achievement for the Department and the Government of Sindh to organize campaigns across the Province for World AIDS Day and bring people together to share their ideas in achieving common goals.