Daily Times

LARKANA: As many as 55 new HIV positive patients have been registered during the last one and a half month in Larkana. A total of 1531 HIV positive cases have been registered at the HIV/AIDS Treatment and Care Center of Larkana until now.

Out of these patients, there are 1210 males, 275 females, 16 children and 30 transgenders.

In December 2016, the total number of registered patients was 1476. 877 patients are on HAART (a combination of medicines for HIV) out of which there are 698 males, 160 females, four children and 15 transgenders. 58 patients have defaulted on HAART out of which 44 are males, eight females and six transgenders.

Out of these 1531, Larkana still tops the list as it has 744 patients, followed by Kambar-Shahdadkot with 221 patients. Dadu has the third most cases, 150, while Khairpur has 140 cases. Cases of HIV in other cities – Shikarpur 69, Sukkur 63, Jacobabad 39, Kashmore 29, Naushehro Feroze 28, Ghotki 17, Jamshoro 12, Nawabshah three, Jaffarabad six, Nasirabad three, Karachi three, while Panjgur, Khuzdar and Kalat each have only one patient.

Sources informed media, the Sindh AIDS Control Program (SACP) has not provided a vital facility of Viral Load Test for which National AIDS Control Program (NACP) has made a contract with Aga Khan University. The request forms have not yet been provided to this centre which shows the sheer negligence of SACP and NACP.

On the other hand, the district administration sealed clinics of quacks, but these clinics have been re-opened in the entire district which also shows that HIV will continue to penetrate among the society without any check. The Sindh government should take up this issue on emergency basis along with the spread of Hepatitis.