Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation & Coordination has been urged not to remove Joint Secretary Mustafa Jamal Kazi from the post of National Coordinator of Common Management Unit (CMU).

“I draw your kind attention to the recent and ongoing efforts for change of leadership at the Common Management Unit (CMU). The APLHIV has a registered membership of around 20,000 people living with HIV, (PLHIV) from across Pakistan. On behalf of HIV Community and 20,000 registered PLHIV from across Pakistan, I feel exceptionally fortunate to offer my special thanks for patronage and whole heartedly ownership by the Ministry towards HIV Community, associated Key Populations and HIV response, under dedicated leadership of Joint Secretary Mr. Mustafa Jamal Kazi, who has the additional charge of National Coordinator CMU,” Asghar Satti, National Coordinator of the Association of People Living with HIV (APLHIV) and member Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM), said in a letter addressed to Secretary of the Ministry of Health.

“The leadership of Mr. Kazi at the CMU owe a special debt of thanks for his commitment, whole heartedly dedication, ownership, and hard work to facilitate the marginalized communities and to form an effective, unified and accountable HIV response at the national level,” the letter further stated. “We [the community and the APLHIV] welcome the most recent achievements under the leadership of Mr. Kazi in last nine months. His commitment to facilitate the marginalized communities is matchless since establishment of CMU. We are at the crossroads, where the strategies, planning and preparations for HIV response for next three years is being finalized. The process is well underway under the leadership of Mr. Kazi and any changes at this point of time will not only affect the ongoing process but will also leave the HIV Community and associated Key Populations without a caring leadership at the corridors of government,” it added.

“Therefore, this is the candid opinion of the community that continuity of Mr. Kazi as the leader of all three diseases (HIV, TB, and Malaria) and especially of HIV is need of time and any changes will have negative impact,” the letter urged. “We as a community greatly acknowledge the support provided by the team at the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination and offer our heartfelt compliments and cognates to the Ministry,” it concluded.