PESHAWAR, July 1: The federal government has prepared a draft law aiming to end the prevalent discrimination against the people suffering from HIV/Aids, an official said.

He said the proposed law, the National HIV Treatment Act, would safeguard the rights of such people especially their right of appropriate and timely treatment.

The draft law had been circulated for consultation among stakeholders, he added.

Sources said that according to the law, commissions would be set up at national and provincial levels to advise the government for promotion of safety measures. The commissions would be entitled to act on the applications of patients and NGOs regarding health officials sources said, adding that the commission would be bound to initiate immediate action on such applications.

The sources said the commissions would have members from the ministries of health, education, social welfare and population departments, senators, MNAs, representatives of the Pakistan Medical Association, Pakistan Nursing Council, Aids patients and non-government organisations with a two-year term.

The federal and provincial governments would devise policy for monitoring HIV/Aids treatment at the nine anti-retroviral therapy centres, said the sources, adding that the policy would be reviewed after every three years. The law once enforced would monitor execution of activities.

The sources said that the draft law would made it obligatory for employers to provide jobs to such people if their services were terminated because of their disease. Likewise, no educational institute would be able to deny admission to HIV/Aids children, they added.

The sources said the new law would ensure that Aids patients would not receive discriminatory treatment in the society. There would be no forced screening of patients and the diagnosis and prescription would be kept confidential, they added.

Sources said the draft law had been prepared in consultation with the representatives of the UN agencies, legal experts, NGOs and stakeholders.