Daily Times

The federal government has sought cooperation of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in the ongoing HIV crisis in Ratodero, Sindh.

Special Assistant to Prime Minister for National Health Dr Zafar Mirza has written a letter to the WHO and requested for immediately sending a team of experts to Pakistan.

Prime Minister’s aide has requested the WHO to send the experts’ team to visit the areas affected by the HIV epidemic. Pakistan has also requested the world health body to provide diagnostic kits for HIV/AIDS.

The prime minister’s aide in his letter asked the WHO to immediately provide 50,000 HIV diagnostic kits for the crisis areas, adding that the HIV cases have reached to epidemic level in Larkana district.

“Around 500 infected patients are children between two years to 15 years age,” the letter to WHO said.

The federal government has been in contact with the government of Sindh over the HIV crisis, the letter further said.

Recently Dr Zafar Mirza visited Sukkur and Larkana districts to review the situation in the crisis areas of the region.

Dr Mirza also held a meeting with Sindh’s Minister of Health Dr Azra Pechuho during his visit and discussed the situation related to the HIV outbreak and government’s measures to address it.

The federal government will extend its full cooperation to Sindh for treatment and rehabilitation of the infected patients, Dr Mirza said.

“Federal health authorities will ensure provision of diagnostic kits and supply of medicines in the affected region,” Zafar Mirza said.

The government will also extend cooperation to Sindh for establishment of three AIDS treatment centres, he said. The centres will be set up at Nawabshah, Mirpur Khas and Hyderabad, prime minister’s special assistant said.