The Punjab AIDS Control Programme (PACP) will scale up its transgender screening initiative at Fountain House through enhanced services on Thursday. The PACP technical committee decided to scale up the services at Pakistan’s first exclusive transgender clinic at Fountain House and measures to reduce stigma attached with HIV. The strategy envisages deputing more human resource at the centre, facilitating priority treatment and rehab for HIV/AIDS patients, enhance counseling/health education sessions, approach other departments and vertical programs and convince them to extend broad-based healthcare services to transgender. PACP Director Dr Asim Altaf approved recommendations for up scaling and improvement of services at this transgender clinic at the Fountain House. In partnership with Akhuwat Khawaja Sara Rehabilitation Programme and Fountain House, the PACP has set up Pakistan’s first ever exclusive Transgender Clinic at FountaIn House where free screening for Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV and other diseases is provided along with free vaccination for Hepatitis B and free treatment for Hepatitis C. “We have explored ways to upscale the services provided at the centre on how to make it broad-based treatment centre where transgender persons can be provided more free services,” Dr Asim Altaf added. Published in Daily Times, August 3rd 2018.