Daily Times

KARACHI: Prevention is better than cure, stressed speakers at an event held on Thursday to educate people about HIV/AIDS.

A presentation was delivered by Dr Younis Chachar, provincial programme manager (SACP). He said that according to the new approved policy (2016-2019) they would start 378 public health centers in 24 districts of Sindh for the treatment of AIDS patients.

The new projects will especially focus on the most affected groups including sex workers of whom there are 21,000 only in Karachi while 40,000 in all over Sindh. “The projects will be implemented by the help of NGOs in which they would be given 80 percent coverage,” he said.

He said that 11,225 persons have been diagnosed with HIV while 239 persons with AIDS. Besides, 6,755 people have been registered for treatment and 3,715 people have been given anti-retroviral (ARVs) medicine which the patients will have to take regularly for the rest of their life. A total of 138,703 sexually transmitted infection-affected people have been given treatment in Sindh AIDS Control Programme.

He said that 26,470 prisoners of various jails have been provided with the facilities of There are 55 HIV affected inmates in jail that are under treatment who will be given proper medication.

“We have conducted many training and discussion sessions with doctors, councilors, journalists, police and religious seminaries for spreading the awareness and to overcome this menace,” he said.

Health care centers will be opened for mothers who are affected by HIV/AIDS for the prevention of parent to child transmission of this virus. “Seven new centers will be started in various districts of Sindh,” he added.

Media can play a vital role in spreading awareness and educating people regarding such a serious illness. “Media is the modern and great way of communication through which we can reach heterogeneous targets who even live in country-side areas,” he concludes.