ISLAMABAD, Nov 30: President Gen Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz have urged the people of the country to join hands and play their role in the fight against the HIV/Aids. In their separate messages on the World Aids Day falling on Thursday, they said the spread of the disease in South Asian countries was indeed a wake up call. “On this World Aids Day we urge all Pakistanis to promise themselves protection against the disease by acquiring and spreading knowledge on ways and means of prevention against this evil disease.”

They said the history of mankind was in many ways also a history of its struggle against calamities and diseases. There were many indicators to the progress made by the human race down the centuries. Perhaps the most telling among them were the success of science and technology in man’s battle against dreaded diseases.

President Musharraf said that HIV/Aids had potential to become an epidemic with catastrophic social and economic consequence.

He said though prevalence of HIV infection was low in Pakistan, the country was highly vulnerable to the escalating pandemic due to the number of significant risk factors.

He said the government was committed to and was capable of dealing the threat through countrywide efforts by the National Aids Control Programme, the ministry of health, non-governmental organizations, civil society, business and religious institutions and communities.

The prime minister said health was one of the most crucial areas with multiple socio-economic implications. HIV/Aids epidemic was taking its toll on the world economies, necessitating steps certain steps. Pakistan, he said, was being rated as a low prevalence and high risk country therefore much was needed to be done.

The government, he said, had taken appropriate measures and had put in place a national programme to arrest HIV/Aids in the country.

The ultimate key to protect the people from disease was prevention and raising the level of awareness about behaviour change. —Online