LAHORE: The Punjab AIDS Control Programme (PACP) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) will further enhance technical collaboration regarding HIV/AIDS in the province.

An understanding to this effect emerged during a visit of a WHO delegation to PACP Complex on Birdwood Road here on Monday.

Comprising experts on STDs and infection control, the WHO experts visited the state-of-the-art laboratory, IT centre and other key components of the PACP.

Dr Adnan Zafar, the PACP programme director, briefed the delegation members about the strategies and initiatives vis-à-vis high risk groups. The PACP is providing free treatment to all registered patients and has set up a dedicated psychological support unit for counseling of patients.

The facility of blood screening, hepatitis B and C blood sugar and other tests has also been made available to bus and truck drivers at key locations in the province. Those testing negative for hepatitis B were also provided vaccination, he said.

The WHO delegation members appreciated the initiatives by the PACP to reach out to high risk groups through innovative and technology driven interventions.

However, the visiting WHO experts suggested that a larger mainstreaming of package of services integrating key initiatives of vertical programmes was an area to work on.

Punjab has made a lot of progress in the last two years, said the delegation members while expressing the hope that current initiatives would yield tangible results in near future.

Published in Dawn, March 28th, 2017