August 26, 2007	Sunday	Sha’aban 12, 1428

PESHAWAR, Aug 25: Terming the alarming spread of AIDS a threat to the country, NWFP Health Minister Inayatullah has underlined the need to adopt a multi-sectoral approach to control the menace.

He was addressing an advocacy seminar organised for the principals of colleges here on Saturday. It was jointly arranged by the AIDS Control Programme NWFP and Unicef.

The minister said HIV/AIDS was spreading in the country fast because all factors responsible for its spread were available here. “It may engulf the country if appropriate steps are not taken.”

He said it was a wrong impression that the health department alone was responsible for the control of AIDS and other diseases, adding that the construction of hospitals was not the solution to health problems.

Mr Inayatullah stressed the need for multi-sectoral coordination for maintaining a healthy society. “The government has taken practical steps to involve ulema, educationists and other segments of society in the war against diseases. We need to institutionalise these efforts.”

The minister said that health and education were key to preventing diseases and added that health indicators of those countries which had sound literacy ratio were better.

He said that health and education were essential for the development of the country and maintained that AIDS was the problem of poor countries as the developed nations had controlled it by adopting successful strategies.

“Adherence to Islamic injunctions can lead to the control of 90 per cent of communicable diseases. We are not good practicing Muslims which is the basic cause of the spread of diseases,” he added.

Dr Mohammad Zafar, provincial manager, AIDS Control Programme, spoke of the AIDS situation in the country and elaborated the steps being taken to control the disease in the province.

Dr Iqbal Khalil said that Islamic injunctions were getting increasing importance among experts for controlling AIDS globally.

Dr Nasreen Aftab said that AIDS had entered concentrated epidemic stage — intravenous drug users — in various cities of the country.—APP