Rs600m allocated for prevention of AIDs: CM Murad
Auto-lock syringes introduced in Larkana, CM informs Gilead Sciences delegation
Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah. PHOTO:PPI
KARACHI:
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that Rs600 million have been reserved to contain the spread of HIV, in addition to a Rs1 billion endowment fund set up for the rehabilitation of HIV affected people.
This he said while presiding over a meeting of American-based Gilead Sciences delegation led by Vice President Clifford Samuel. The delegation included South Asia Senior Director Hema Srinivasan, Government affairs Asia Pacific Senior Director Caludio Lilienfeld and Osman Khalid Waheed, the chief executive officer of Ferozsons Lab.
The chief minister said that when he came to know that HIV had affected some people in Rato Dero of Larkana district, he dispatched special teams to conduct screenings. “We preferred to screen the population of the area instead of putting the matter under the carpet,” he said.
Sindh healthcare system a ticking time-bomb
Shah said that 32,151 people were screened, of which 936, including 770 children and 166 adults, were detected HIV positive. He added that out of 936 patients, 47% were male and 53% female.
Disclosing the age bracket of the HIV patients, the chief minister said that out of 936 HIV positive cases 56% of the patients were below five years of age, 26% between 5 to 14 years, 16% between the ages of 15 and 45 and 2% above the age of 45.
While talking about the response of Sindh government to the outbreak, Shah said that a new paediatrics treatment centre has been established at Children Hospital Larkana and another similar centre was being set up at Rato Dero THQ. Sindh Blood Transfusion Authority (SBTA) has also launched operation against illegal blood banks, and quack clinics have been sealed. He added that vertical programmes such as Lady Health Workers (LHW), Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), nutrition, maternal newborn and child health (MNCH) have been actively employed at Rato Dero and Larkana. “We have introduced auto-lock syringes in Larkana,” he said.
The CM said that the international non-governmental organisations (NGO) and United Nations (UN) agencies have been taken on board for technical support. He added that the Aga Khan University Hospital, Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) and other institutions have also been providing support in treatment, screening, capacity building of related medical officers and technical staff.
It was also pointed out that WHO mission visited Larkana, Rato Dero for a week where they focused on testing and treatment as well as disseminated hands-on training to physicians at HIV treatment centres.
The CM thanked WHO for arranging three missions in response to the HIV outbreak and providing necessary medicines for 600 HIV positive children for three months.
Gilead Sciences VP offered the CM the support of his organisation.
Treatment kits
This month, the WHO will hand over the first consignment of the Anti-Retroviral (ARV) drugs to the Sindh government. Besides, the WHO will also provide 50,000 HIV screening kits to the provincial government.
The new consignment of the drugs will be distributed at the district level while the screening kits will be handed over to the head of the Sindh Aids Control Programme (SACP) of Rato Dero taluka in Larkana district. According to the health department, the new screening kits will also be made available in all hospitals in the province.
Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho had sought the WHO’s support to mitigate the crisis in the aftermath of the HIV outbreak in Rato Dero.
Sindh govt to form committee to improve hospitals
The Global Fund will also support the Sindh government by providing anti-HIV medicine and more screening kits.
Speaking to The Express Tribune, SACP chief Dr Sikandar Ali said 11,412 patients have been registered so far for ARV therapy. They will need medication for the rest of their lives. “We will need more medicine due to the increase in the number of cases,” he said, “but these medicines are not prepared in Pakistan.” He said that the Global Fund had already placed the order for the medicines and kits for the treatment of 1,000 patients.
The health department official said that three types of kits were used for screening of HIV. The price of the first kit is Rs199, while the second kit costs Rs299 and the rate of the third kit is Rs645.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 19th, 2019.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that Rs600 million have been reserved to contain the spread of HIV, in addition to a Rs1 billion endowment fund set up for the rehabilitation of HIV affected people.
This he said while presiding over a meeting of American-based Gilead Sciences delegation led by Vice President Clifford Samuel. The delegation included South Asia Senior Director Hema Srinivasan, Government affairs Asia Pacific Senior Director Caludio Lilienfeld and Osman Khalid Waheed, the chief executive officer of Ferozsons Lab.
The chief minister said that when he came to know that HIV had affected some people in Rato Dero of Larkana district, he dispatched special teams to conduct screenings. “We preferred to screen the population of the area instead of putting the matter under the carpet,” he said.
Sindh healthcare system a ticking time-bomb
Shah said that 32,151 people were screened, of which 936, including 770 children and 166 adults, were detected HIV positive. He added that out of 936 patients, 47% were male and 53% female.
Disclosing the age bracket of the HIV patients, the chief minister said that out of 936 HIV positive cases 56% of the patients were below five years of age, 26% between 5 to 14 years, 16% between the ages of 15 and 45 and 2% above the age of 45.
While talking about the response of Sindh government to the outbreak, Shah said that a new paediatrics treatment centre has been established at Children Hospital Larkana and another similar centre was being set up at Rato Dero THQ. Sindh Blood Transfusion Authority (SBTA) has also launched operation against illegal blood banks, and quack clinics have been sealed. He added that vertical programmes such as Lady Health Workers (LHW), Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), nutrition, maternal newborn and child health (MNCH) have been actively employed at Rato Dero and Larkana. “We have introduced auto-lock syringes in Larkana,” he said.
The CM said that the international non-governmental organisations (NGO) and United Nations (UN) agencies have been taken on board for technical support. He added that the Aga Khan University Hospital, Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) and other institutions have also been providing support in treatment, screening, capacity building of related medical officers and technical staff.
It was also pointed out that WHO mission visited Larkana, Rato Dero for a week where they focused on testing and treatment as well as disseminated hands-on training to physicians at HIV treatment centres.
The CM thanked WHO for arranging three missions in response to the HIV outbreak and providing necessary medicines for 600 HIV positive children for three months.
Gilead Sciences VP offered the CM the support of his organisation.
Treatment kits
This month, the WHO will hand over the first consignment of the Anti-Retroviral (ARV) drugs to the Sindh government. Besides, the WHO will also provide 50,000 HIV screening kits to the provincial government.
The new consignment of the drugs will be distributed at the district level while the screening kits will be handed over to the head of the Sindh Aids Control Programme (SACP) of Rato Dero taluka in Larkana district. According to the health department, the new screening kits will also be made available in all hospitals in the province.
Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho had sought the WHO’s support to mitigate the crisis in the aftermath of the HIV outbreak in Rato Dero.
Sindh govt to form committee to improve hospitals
The Global Fund will also support the Sindh government by providing anti-HIV medicine and more screening kits.
Speaking to The Express Tribune, SACP chief Dr Sikandar Ali said 11,412 patients have been registered so far for ARV therapy. They will need medication for the rest of their lives. “We will need more medicine due to the increase in the number of cases,” he said, “but these medicines are not prepared in Pakistan.” He said that the Global Fund had already placed the order for the medicines and kits for the treatment of 1,000 patients.
The health department official said that three types of kits were used for screening of HIV. The price of the first kit is Rs199, while the second kit costs Rs299 and the rate of the third kit is Rs645.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 19th, 2019.