KARACHI, Jan 25: The number of people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus in the country could be much more than available figures, as fear of being stigmatized by society bars majority of potential HIV carriers from getting blood screening tests and subsequent treatment.

The incubation period - time HIV takes to cause Aids - could vary from one to 10 years, which reduces chances of detecting silent killer. This necessitates need for awareness to familiarize people with HIV-reality.

These views were expressed at the orientation workshop for print media on HIV & Aids, organized by the National Aids Control Programme in collaboration with the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors, the UNICEF and the UNDP, on Wednesday.

Dr Shaheed Isran said that misperceptions on Aids should be removed while raising awareness on precautions and syndromes indicating at Aids presence. He said that tuberculosis was the biggest killer-illness and there was no reason to believe illness might not be part of Aids. The problem was with people who were not ready to accept the reality of Aids being part of the society and reluctant to get blood tests.

He said that according to the latest figures there were 3,073 reported HIV cases. However, an estimated figure reached as high as 80,000. He attributed this to host of factors, including unchecked deportation of Pakistanis from abroad, who could be carriers of the virus.

CPNE President Arif Nizami and Vice-President Dr Jabbar Khattak urged newsmen to draw attention of people towards the issue by explaining the serious nature of Aids and avoid unnecessary exploitation. They called for professional training of journalists to enable them report in line with relevant ethics.

It was told that parliamentarians from all over country would converge in Karachi on Jan 30 to discuss legal aspects related to the HIV.

The workshops being held in different cities are part of National Aids Control Programme to chalk out ethical guidelines to report on HIV and Aids. —PPI