KARACHI, Jan 31: Unsterilized medical instruments and non-adherence to the strict standards of infection-control procedures have been described as major risk factors in the spread of HIV in Pakistan.

Analyses, covering situation and response in HIV/AIDS cases detected in Pakistan, compiled by the National AIDS Programme, reveal that in most cases application and re-application of unsterilized instruments, particularly needles and syringes, appeared responsible for the spread of the virus.

The situation has generally been attributed to people’s inaccessibility to the modern medical care and their dependence on traditional healers.

It is not uncommon at clinics in villages that so-called doctors having actually a little or no formal medical training provide treatment, according to the analyses.

The compilers observed that reliance on unqualified medial practitioners might enhanced the risk of further infection due to their lack of proper knowledge and their non-adherence to the recognized infection-control procedures during therapeutic treatments.

A widespread use of unsterilized or improperly sterilized needles, syringes and other medical instrument and equipment has been observed in most of the clinics, hospitals and healthcare centres. Universal safety precautions and infection-control procedures also are not observed at hospitals and laboratories.

The report says that 49 per cent of outpatient visits resulted in a patient being administered an injection. These injections are commonly administered for fever, abdominal pain, weakness, etc.—APP