LAHORE, Nov 25: Punjab Health Minister Dr Tahir Ali Javed says the health department will provide comprehensive guidelines and help to district governments to control HIV and Aids. Speaking at the second Pakistan Harm Reduction Conference (PHRC) here on Friday, he appealed to Ulema to come forward and help the government in creating awareness among the general public against HIV and Aids.

He said the younger generation could be saved from this curse by adopting social and religious values. He stressed that the prayers leaders should brief people regarding the hazardous effects of this disease in their khutbas/speeches as well as during individual communication.

The minister said it was the common responsibility of teachers, parents, public opinion leaders and the Ulema to play their role in this social service. He said the health department would also involve other departments, including education, police, NGOs, civil society and public opinion leaders to achieve the targets.

He said that HIV and AIDS control and its cure had become a great dilemma for both developed and under-developed countries. He said this fatal disease had affected more than 40.3 million people all over the world out of which more than 34.7 million were adults, including 17 million women, while 1.5 million were children under 15 years of age.

In India, he said, almost four million people were HIV positive. Although the present situation in Pakistan was not that alarming, he said, the spread of this fatal disease could not be ignored.