04 October 2004	Monday	18 Shaban 1425

ISLAMABAD, Oct 3: More than 2,200 Aids patients have so far been reported in Pakistan whereas an estimated 70,000 to 80,000 are infected with HIV. This was stated by Dr Ashraf Memon, a representative of the Provincial Aids Control Programme, on Saturday.

He was speaking at a one-day workshop, 'Orientation training for religious leaders on info kit for HIV/Aids prevention' organized by the Provincial Aids Control Programme, Sindh chapter, with the collaboration of Unicef in Karachi.

Unicef deputy representative in Pakistan Ronald Van Djik presided over the event. More than 50 religious leaders, teachers of schools, universities and government officials from throughout the province participated in the event.

Dr Ashraf Memon said till 2004, about 42 million people were infected with HIV or were patients of Aids. He said every country had Aids patients and in India the figure had increased to five million.

He said Pakistani labourers, especially those working in Gulf states, were reported to be HIV carriers. When these workers were deported, they did not reveal to anyone that they were carriers of the virus. Ultimately, they transmitted the disease to their wives. In some cases, women delivered babies who were infected with this virus, he added.

"About 80 to 85 per cent Aids cases are a result of sexual contact between an HIV positive person and a normal man or woman. In Pakistan, this ratio was 70 to 75 per cent," he said.

Mr Memon said there was no cure for the disease, therefore, awareness should be created about HIV/Aids at all levels. He said patients suffering from this disease needed counselling and should not be looked down upon.

Qamarul Islam Siddiqui of National Aids Control Programme said Aids was not only related to the health of a person but was a disease of the entire society. He called upon the Ulema to help the government curb the spread of the deadly disease.

He said such a workshop would be arranged at district and town levels to create awareness among the people. Tracing the history of the disease, Suleman Malik of Unicef, Islamabad, said the first case of Aids was recorded 20 years ago in Africa. He said about 50 per cent of South African army was infected by the disease.

He said though a lot of programmes had been conducted to create awareness about the disease, people were not giving due attention to it as no morals were involved. "Now, we have decided to involve Ulema and religious scholars in this awareness drive," he added.

Dr Nabila Zaka of Unicef, while discussing various medical aspects of HIV/Aids, said the virus was found in blood, hormones and mother's milk. She added that it did not spread through common meetings or social contact.

She said the virus took three weeks to become positive and an HIV positive person with good health could live up to 20 years. She said the virus could also be spread through blood transfusion, re-use of syringes, dental or surgery equipment and mother-feed.

She said the basic reason for the spread of the disease in the country was poverty and illiteracy. She said the worst hit by the disease were labourers who worked away from homes and developed sexual relations with HIV carriers.

The participants suggested to conduct refresher courses of religious scholars and teachers so that they might create awareness about the disease among students at all levels.

Mr Van Djik appreciated the efforts of the workshop's organizers. He said Aids did not destroy a person but an entire family. He said it was a stigma and a challenge for the new world. "We have to find out ways to come out of the situation. Unicef will continue its technical support in this regard," he added.