PESHAWAR, Aug 28: Speakers at a seminar on Wednesday urged religious scholars and social workers to play an active role in making  people aware of the hazards of AIDS so that it could be countered effectively.

The seminar was arranged by the Society for Human Rights and Prisoners Aid.

Provincial Health Minister Inayatullah Khan said the government and non-government organizations had failed to evolved an effective strategy to  counter AIDS.

He asked the NGOs to make mosques, hujras and other public places the centres of their activities for spreading awareness about AIDS and other communicable diseases.

He advised the NGOs to utilize the services of religious scholars in campaigns against diseases and arrange training workshops for them.

He said steps were being taken for making the provincial AIDS control programme fully functional. He said facilities for safe blood transfusion were provided in 20 hospitals in the province.