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KARACHI, Dec 1: To create awareness among people against the HIV/AIDS, a walk under the auspices of Sindh Health Department and Sindh AIDS Control Programme was held at Sea View on Wednesday.
The walk was led by Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan accompanied by Chief Minister's Advisor on Health Faisal Malik and a number of federal and provincial ministers and senior officers of health department.
Addressing participants of the walk, Dr Ishratul Ibad said that the government was taking practical steps to create awareness among people so that they should adopt preventive measures against this deadly disease.
Faisal Malik said that the government was fully aware of the health problems of people and was actively working on plans for generating greater awareness against deadly ailments.
He said today's walk, formation of human chain and organizing festival was part of the same programme. He said that school and college students should ponder over this issue as well as adopt measures to get rid of it.
DEMO: The Sindh Green Development Organization, a non-government organization, arranged a demonstration on the World AIDS Day in front of Karachi Press Club here on Wednesday. The participants urged the government and the United Nations that budget on creating awareness, conducting research and treatment of AIDS should be increased.
SGDO Chairman Dr Karam Ali Rustamani expressed concern over increase in AIDS patients in Pakistan, particularly in Sindh, where the situation was even worse because of heavy use of syringes by drug addicts.
He underlined the need that people should be educated to check the spread of this deadly disease. Engr Atish Panhwar, Shakeel Memon and Ayaz Panhwar also spoke on the occasion. -APP
OUR STAFF REPORTER ADDS: The Pakistan Medical Association, Karachi chapter, called on Wednesday for worthwhile measures to control the spread of Human Immuno deficiency Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.
The PMA also expressed concern over the increasing number of HIV/AIDS cases in Sindh. In a statement released to the press, the PMA stated that 976 HIV/AIDS cases had so far been reported from Sindh. The number of unregistered cases was stated to be much higher.
The PMA said that labourers working in foreign countries, commercial sex workers, drug addicts using syringes, prisoners and illegal immigrants were responsible for the tremendous rise in the number of HIV/AIDS cases in Pakistan. The handout suggested following measures to check the growing cases of HIV/AIDS:
Only properly screened blood should be transfused; properly sealed disposable syringes should be used because the reuse of syringes could be dangerous; never indulge in unprotected sexual activities and doctors should use gloves while examining wounds or injuries.
Meanwhile, the Initiator Human Development Foundation, an NGO, staged a demo in front of the Karachi Press Club on Wednesday to highlight the susceptibility of street children against the HIV/AIDS. The demonstration coincided with the World AIDS Day.
The participants of the protest demo said that street children could indulge in vices such as homosexuality just to make a living for themselves. This was the reason why they were vulnerable to the deadly virus, they pointed out.
Rana Asif Habib, the chief of the NGO, Saddar Town Naib Nazim Wazir Rehbar, besides many street children took part in the demo, said a press release.
