PESHAWAR, July 27: Six people, including two children, of the same family have been diagnosed positive for HIV/Aids in the Orakzai Agency, a WHO official said.

“A 56-year-old man, his wife, 53, son 24, daughter-in-law, 22, and two- and three-year-old grandsons have been detected positive for HIV/AIDS in the Orakzai Agency,” the official said, citing a report sent by a Hangu-based NGO, Roshan Development Society.

Both father and son had been deported from the UAE a few years ago because of HIV/AIDS, but neither of them had communicated about the disease to their family members and as a result their wives got infected.

“Last week, we tested them and found six member of the same family to be HIV/AIDS positive,” said Shahrayar Khan Bangash, director of the Roshan Development Society. He said that they had detected 31 cases since 2003.

“Hundred per cent of the infected persons were either deported from the UAE or other Middle East countries and were relatives of the deportees,” he said, adding that most of them worked abroad in blue-collar jobs, including drivers, mechanics and labourers for years. Being away from their wives, most of them come into contact with professional sex workers, from whom they contracted the disease.

As there are no arrangements at airports to screen these deportees and inform families of such people, to protect them, he said.

In the process, they land safely and infect their wives, he said. He added that there was an urgent need to put in place a system to test deported people and inform their families accordingly.

Mr Bangash said that they had 31 registered HIV/Aids cases, which includes 22 men, seven women and two children.

“The number of women patients could be much more but the females are not allowed to go outside their homes and get tested for the disease,” he added.

‘‘The society, he said had also sent six other patients to the antiretroviral therapy (ARV) centre, Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC), who are in the process of investigation.

He said that some patients had been sent to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Islamabad to carry out a test (CD 4 count) which cost Rs20, 000.

“A US-based donor agency, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is providing free CD 4 facilities to the patients.