PESHAWAR: ‘Anti-Aids efforts to focus on women, children’
Bureau Report
PESHAWAR, Dec 1: The Fata Aids Control Programme has renewed its commitment to fight the deadly disease and decided to launch a new strategy called ‘Save One Soul Movement’ in all its seven tribal agencies.
Addressing an event here on Saturday to mark the World Aids Day, Fata director health Dr Mohammad Dubai said the focus of their campaign would be on children and women, who would be informed of the Aids control and prevention strategies.
Health officials stressed the need for redefining strategies and highlighting vulnerable groups, especially street children. Awareness regarding HIV and AIDS would be made through seminars in different agencies, a handout issued here said.
The importance of prevention for children, adolescents infected and affected by HIV and advocacy for those at risk would be highlighted in line with the national theme for the year “Unite for Children, Unite against AIDS” campaign.
Aids Control Programme deputy manager Dr Iftikhar Ali said the mainstreaming of HIV/Aids in all initiatives and significance of HIV as a cross cutting theme was the need of the hour.
Fata has a total of 110 HIV cases including 49 in Kurram Agency, North Waziristan (27), South Waziristan (18), Orakzai, Khyber (13) and Bajaur (3), officials at the gathering said.
The health officials said the directorate would strive to meet the millennium development goals of reducing the HIV cases in Fata by two-thirds at the end of 2015.
They said measures would be taken to avoid stigma, mobilisation of civil society organisations and priority would be given for providing healthcare and support to children and adolescents infected by HIV.
An event on the World AIDS Day was also organised at Landi Kotal tehsil in Khyber Agency by the Fata Aids Control Programme, Family Health International and NACP, Islamabad, with the support of a local NGO Humrahi, the handout added.
