KARACHI, Nov 2: The UNAIDS Coordinator for Pakistan, Dr Dayanath Jayasuria, has suggested early need on part of political parties in the country to include a statement in their respective manifesto supportive to HIV/AIDS prevention efforts.

Speaking at the launching of Expanded HIV/AIDS Programme Sindh, he said this could be in line with the steps taken for the establishment of “Parliamentarian’s Forum on HIV/AIDS” at the national and provincial levels in different countries across the globe.

Reiterating the need for strong political will and commitment, he said this was necessary where high risk factors were needed to be effectively countered.

He appreciated that the Expanded HIV/AIDS Programme had been launched in Sindh. However, he said, “The momentum generated today needs to be sustained.”

Dr Jayasuria sought permission to term a few items as unfinished agenda for HIV prevention in many low prevalence countries. Elaborating his stance, he said, there was a dire need to mainstream HIV related concerns into all developmental areas. The planning commission and finance ministry officials must also necessarily ensure that every ministry allocated a certain amount of its annual budget for preventive work, he suggested.

“A recent study by UNAIDS shows that more than 40 per cent of the countries, including Pakistan, have failed to enact anti- discrimination laws,” he said.

Dr Jayasuria also underscored the need to engage patients, religious community leaders and civil society in planning, implementation and evaluation of all programmes.

In this context, he said, partnerships formed even at the global level would benefit Pakistan and referred to an agreement signed between the Clinton Foundation with five generic drug manufacturers to reduce the cost of HIV/AIDS prevention drugs.

According to him, following the agreement, annual base cost for anti-retroviral therapy for HIV/AIDS will come down to US$ 140 per person. He admitted that this could still be a staggering amount, for many of the countries where the health budget per person was just one dollar. He maintained that the accord was a major step to achieve the new UNAIDS - WHO goal to provide the necessary drugs for three million people by the year 2005 against the current accessibility of 300,000 people to such drugs.

“Commitments and plans have to be translated into action,” he said. Capacity building for strategic planning, implementation and evaluation was further cited to be accorded priority in order to fight AIDS, TB and malaria.

He also stressed the need for more intensified interventions, which should be gender sensitive and focus on groups vulnerable to infection.

On the occasion, a gentleman suffering from AIDS also addressed the audience mentioning that an error on his part landed himself and his entire family in a spate of agony and immense suffering. He urged people not to shun the patients or people related to them. —APP