KARACHI: There are at present as many as 8,752 people living with HIV/Aids in Sindh and of them a major chunk of 6,188 are in Karachi alone because of which the UNAIDS Programme has selected the metropolis to make it HIV/Aids drug addicts free by 2030.

It transpired at a meeting between Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah and director of UNAIDS Regional Support Team for Asia and Pacific, Steven J. Kraus, who called on the chief minister along with three others to exchange views on fast-tracked approach to achieve HIV prevention, treatment, care and support in Sindh.

Mr Kraus said: “We have to enhance capacity building of medical staff, introduce opiate substitution therapy for rehabilitation of drug addicts and give people living with HIV/Aids access to treatment by increasing the number of anti retroviral treatment centres in the country.”

Sindh AIDs Control Programme’s provincial programme manager Dr Mohammad Younis Chachar informed the meeting that as many as 8,752 people living with HIV/Aids were in Sindh out of which 6,188 lived in Karachi.

German envoy calls on CM

Consul General of Germany Rainer Schmidchen called on the chief minister and agreed to boost trade and investment activities to increase income and employment opportunities.

Published in Dawn, September 10th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play