KARACHI, Oct 2: A booklet describing the role of religious leaders in the prevention of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) was launched here on Sunday. Almost all the religious sects were represented at the event.

The booklet - entitled "The role of religious leaders in the prevention of HIV/AIDS - has been published jointly by the ministry of health, government of Pakistan, National AIDS Control Programme (NACP), Islamabad, and Unicef.

The panel of experts producing the booklet comprises Qamarul Islam Siddiqui of NACP and Dr Suleman Malik and Dr Nabila Zaka of Unicef.

The booklet contains basic information about HIV/AIDS and also how the same could be prevented. The Urdu booklet, written in easy-to-understand language, incorporates inputs from 45 experts.

Explaining why the religious leaders are important in the drive against HIV/AIDS, the booklet says they can create awareness among the masses about the scourge. Also, the religious leaders are likely to influence the opinion of more people than any other group.

The experts who spoke at the launching ceremony of the book included Raana Syed, Qamarul Islam Siddiqui, Dr Nabila Zaka, Ronald van Dijk and Prof Dr Abdul Rasheed of Karachi University.

Mr Dijk said Pakistan was the first Islamic country in the world where a book dealing with the role of religious leaders had been launched. He said the common people attached a lot of importance to what the religious leaders had to say over various issues.