IT is horrifying to learn that around 300 people tested positive for HIV (after thousand others were screened) in Larkana’s Ratodero taluka.

It is suspected that a doctor used an infected syringe or drip.

To take control of the matter at hand, a camp of 70 doctors has been set up at the taluka hospital. The outbreak is being treated in isolation and as a clinical disease, which I feel is not an appropriate response if you look at past experiences in Indonesia, Ukraine, Uganda or Kenya.

According to a study I read about HIV/AIDS prevention, good quality universal health coverage is the first and most important step to stop any acute or chronic health issue in a country as mentioned in the Astana Declaration of 2018.

It is important to note here that HIV/AIDS is not just a sexually transmitted disease, but can also be transferred via used syringes.

I would like to point out that someone who has HIV should not be shunned by society; instead we should support them and help them out in whatever way possible. We should also try to make universal health coverage available, including Antiretroviral Treatment facility.

Children should be made aware of HIV/AIDS through the Life-Skill Based Education (LSBE) system for which the Sindh government already has a programme in hand. The Enhanced Sindh Aids Programme has a budget of Rs445million which has always been under-utilized and should be spent properly. At least one billion rupees should be kept aside for an AIDS programme to establish ART centres in district headquarter and taluka hospitals.

Dr Hussain Bux Kolachi

Hyderabad

(2)

IT is extremely disheartening to look at the spike in HIV cases in Sindh and Balochistan. It is frustrating to think of the number of children infected with the virus and how it is going to impact their lives.

I want to ask the government what they plan to do about this crisis.

The Sindh government always makes tall claims in the health and education sector…well then, what have you done? Public health and delivery system is in a shambles. The situation is getting worse day by day.

It is imperative that whoever is advising the government examine and identify the issues.

The provincial government and health ministry need to arrange a screening of the cases by sampling. Information about the illness and other life-threatening diseases should be communicated to the public by newspapers, awareness campaigns at school and offices.

The government should also ensure that anyone setting up or doing private practice is qualified and follows a proper code of conduct. We need to contain the spread of HIV before it gets out of hand.

Additionally I would also ask the government to look into the spread of misinformation about the recent outbreak.

Several news channels ran reports about how the Larkana doctor himself had HIV and was purposely spreading it. What is the truth? Who is going to look into this?

Nazeer Maznani

Islamabad

(3)

LARKANA is a famous city owing to the historical sight of Moenjodaro and being the hometown of two former prime ministers — Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and his daughter, Benazir.

Despite this, Larkana has got less priority in health, education, social and economic development projects. The PPP government though has been in power for several decades, but has not paid attention to the city. The recent HIV/AIDs detection in children and people is a poor reflection on the pathetic performance of the PPP in Sindh. Reports say that out of the 93 patients who were screened, 67 are children.

It is not all, as, according to reports, number of HIV patients is rising. It is time tangible steps were taken to control the spread of HIV in other areas of the city.

I have a special concern for Larkana because the city is known worldwide owing to a historical sight and the two late prime ministers. What image have we been creating of this city and the country internationally?

This city has been ignored by the PPP, although the PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari won the National Assembly seat from this constituency. It is strange that the party has always posed itself as the voice of the poor, the vulnerable, the marginalised and the downtrodden, but the facts are contrary.

It is a fact that PPP has failed to deliver in Sindh. The PPP has no cogent reason for criticsing the federal government for failing in providing healthcare to Larkana and Sindh.

Mujeeb Ali Samo

Larkana

Published in Dawn, May 18th, 2019