December 2, 2003	Tuesday	Shawwal 7, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, Dec 1: Awareness needs to be created about HIV/AIDS as a disease and not a curse, and all the stakeholders should join hands with the government to eliminate the epidemic from the country.

These views were expressed by parliamentary health secretary Raheela Yahya Munawwar. She leading an awareness walk arranged here to mark the World AIDS Day observed throughout the globe on Monday. This year’s slogan was “Live and let Live”.

The walk, jointly organized by the health ministry, National Institute of Health, ADGROUP and National Aids Control Programme, started from Jinnah Avenue and culminated at Parliament Lodges.

Speaking on the occasion, the parliamentary secretary said the government was fully aware of its responsibility towards checking the menace in the country and would leave no stone unturned to help out those who had already been suffering from the disease.

She lauded the fact that new funding by individual governments and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria would go a long way in helping the countries facing the menace.

Ms Munawwar said the epidemic was spreading in those areas of the world — Eastern Europe and across Asia — which, initially, had been saved from the deadly virus. It should a matter of concern for the developed world because the deadly virus can travel to any country with human beings. Hence, concerted efforts should be made to rid the world of HIV/AIDS.

UNAIDS, with the support of UNDP, UNFPA and the government of Norway, have arranged several events, including cultural shows, in the towns of Sindh province to create general awareness about the disease through local theatre and music.

An estimated three million people died of AIDS in 2003 and more than five million acquired the HIV, bringing to 40 million the number of people infected by the virus around the world.

As part of World AIDS Day 2003, cricket teams playing international matches have committed to wearing red ribbon to support the cause of the millions of people infected by the virus. The red ribbon is the global symbol of solidarity with the HIV/AIDS patients.

According to the UNDP resident representative in Pakistan, Onder Yucer, “some South Asian countries, including Pakistan, still experience low prevalence of the global epidemic, but the risk of the virus spreading is very high. Sincere political commitment and the creation of new and dynamic partnerships are needed to prevent the crisis from escalating”.

He said the disease burden in Pakistan was relatively very low as there were only 1,441 cases of HIV and 231 of AIDS reported so far. The actual estimates are far beyond this, he maintained.