‘Sindh govt to seek help from WHO for curbing HIV’

Provincial health minister outlines government’s efforts to control the epidemic

KARACHI: Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho said that legislation for the formation of a health commission, to address HIV outbreak, has been completed. The commission would now be made operational to effectively address the issue of HIV prevalence, with it teams working on district level, she said.

Addressing a press conference, Dr Pechuho informed that the World Health Organisation (WHO) team investigating the cause of HIV outbreak has concluded its investigation and revealed its findings.

According to WHO Representative Palitha Mahipala, who also attended the press conference, main reason behind the spread of HIV virus was revealed to be the use of unsafe blood, unsafe injections and unsafe practice.

WHO collaborates with Sindh health dept to fight HIV

In this regard, Dr Pechuho informed that the investigation revealed a large number of doctors in Sindh were carrying out unsafe medical practices. Efforts are being made to stop them from doing so, she added. She also requested the federal government to allocate certain amount in the budget for the production of auto-lock syringes in Pakistan.

She said that the recent outbreak was a sign that if the issue of HIV is neglected any further, it would result in a dangerous situation.

Federal Health Minister Dr Zafar Mirza also attended the press conference and said that federal and provincial governments were working together and the recent HIV outbreak was a wakeup call to improve the healthcare system in the country. He stressed on the need to make HIV control programme more effective, at national and provincial levels.

He said that Pakistan had the highest number of Hepatitis B cases in the world and Hepatitis C was also turning out to be a big challenge, adding that if not addressed, HIV too would become a big problem.

Dr Pechuho pointed out that the spread of HIV was a crucial problem which was not only limited to Larkana. She said that Pakistan registered the highest number of HIV cases in the world and efforts across the country need to be made to deal with the problem, adding that the provincial government intended to seek further help from WHO in this regard, she said.

"We have learned our lesson and would not tolerate any more children getting infected with the virus," she said.

She further said that more than 27,000 people were screened in Larkana for HIV, out of which 598 has tested positive, including 500 children and 98 adults.

According to Dr Pechuho, HIV screening facilities were available in all districts of Sindh and every pregnant woman was being screened for HIV. We wouldn't be able to conduct as thorough a screening as we did in Rato Dero, in other areas of Sindh, however, screening has been made compulsory for pregnant women in all districts, she informed.

Elaborating on the measures taken by Sindh Government to curb HIV in the province, Dr Pechuho said that one billion rupees in the budget had been allocated for the treatment of HIV patients. She further said that the government intended to take measures for effective management of hospital waste, starting from Larkana, which would help curb the epidemic.

Dr Mirza said that government had taken measures to initiate the production of anti-retroviral medicines in Pakistan and pointed out that there was a need to invest in improving the overall healthcare system in Pakistan.

World Health Organisation country manager Dr Palitha Mahipala, Health Secretary Saeed Ahmed Awan, Health Director General Masood Solangi and officials from UNICEF and UNAIDS attended the press conference.

Meanwhile, in another press conference, need to ensure the availability of facilities for screening HIV, along with Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C, across Pakistan was highlighted by international health experts.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday, leader of WHO team visiting Pakistan, Dr Oliver Morgan stressed on the need for taking measures to stop risky and hazardous practices by healthcare providers. He pointed out that the problem of questionable practices by healthcare providers was not restricted to a single region in the country.

537 children test positive for HIV in Larkana, says health adviser

"Looking forward it is suggested to reduce risky practices and ensure uninterrupted provision of antiretroviral drugs to those affected by HIV," he said.

Dr Oliver said that his team had worked closely with the federal and provincial health authorities, and appreciated the efforts made by them to address the issue.

Speaking at the press conference, UNAIDS Support Team for Asia and the Pacific Regional Director Dr Eamonn Murphy said, "There is a need to focus on improving infection control practices," emphasising that unwarranted use of intravenous drips and syringes should be curbed. He also expressed concerns over the prevalence of quackery. 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 15^th, 2019.