PESHAWAR, Aug 17: The Aga Khan Medical University Hospital, Karachi, is conducting a study to determine the causes of HIV/Aids prevalence among migrant workers in the NWFP and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and outline recommendations for prevention of the disease.

“The NWFP health department has given approval for the study to be conducted in Kohat and Hangu districts, apart from Fata,” said an official. He said the study was likely to be launched within a couple of weeks.

The principal investigator, the Aga Khan University and co-investigators, the National and Provincial Aids Control Programmes, will soon begin formation of a community working group to kick off the study. The group would include representatives of the Aids control programmes, the Hangu health executive district officer, antiretroviral therapy centre, NGOs, media and deported HIV patient, the official said.

To be based in Peshawar and Hangu, the working group would travel to the targeted areas to meet the designated population, the official said.

Of the 400 HIV/Aids cases in the NWFP and Fata, 90 per cent were believed to have contracted the infection in the Middle East, he said.

He said most of the infected immigrant workers faced deportation from the Middle East countries after they were diagnosed.

When the immigrant workers approached the embassies for renewal or attestation of their documents, they were subjected to investigations and those testing HIV/Aids positive were deported to Pakistan, he said.

“They are even not allowed to pack their luggage and the authorities here are not informed about the cause of their deportation,” he said.

As there were no screening facilities at the airports, the infected deportees went to their areas, he said, adding that they kept their ailment secret from their wives and other relatives and transmitted the disease.

The study also aimed at identifying the population likely to be infected by the returning migrant workers, he said.