TODAY marks World AIDS Day. The scientific community’s understanding of the virus has come a long way since the 1980s, when fear and panic regarding this ‘new’ epidemic spread across the world. With medical advancements, much of the mystery surrounding the disease and its origins has dissolved. An HIV diagnosis is not the sounding of the death knell it once was, and treatment is available at various stages of the illness. But despite the progress (there has been a decline in new viruses in 69 countries), there is still a long way to go before we meet UNAIDS’ 90-90-90 targets. New infections had been reported in at least 50 countries in 2017: they doubled in Central Asia and Eastern Europe; while North Africa and the Middle East showed a 25pc increase. In Pakistan, the numbers of new cases of infection are also rising. According to the National AIDS Control Programme, 6,200 people have died from HIV/AIDS since 1994. A report in this paper yesterday mentioned that the number of HIV-infected patients in Balochistan had swollen to over 5,000. On Nov 27, another report mentioned that 22 out of the 889 new HIV-positive cases reported in Sindh had succumbed to the disease in the past six months. These are harrowing figures in this day and age.

HIV/AIDS came back into the national discourse last year when Kot Imrana and its surrounding villages in Sargodha reported that 37 people tested positive for the virus. Months later, some 100 more were diagnosed after being screened by health department officials. Reports stated that a staggering 869 people were diagnosed in the past 10 years in four districts of Sargodha. Authorities believe the disease spread via used syringes. This medical malpractice is just one of many reasons for the spread of blood-borne diseases, including Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C, in the population. Others include the use of unsterilised medical tools in hospitals and dental clinics, unsafe blood transfusions, contaminated razor blades used by street barbers, and a migrant labour force open to commercial sex. A lack of awareness leads to unsafe sexual practice, or the use of poor-quality protection. Taboos around sexual practices and health are a major hindrance in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Harmful myths stigmatise carriers: sufferers are perceived as ‘sinners’ and socially ostracised at a time they need the most support. We need to start talking.

Published in Dawn, December 1st, 2018