An effective movement is required to create awareness among people on how to prevent communicable diseases, such as AIDs, speakers said on Wednesday. .
Addressing an AIDS awareness seminar at Institute of Public Health (IPH), speakers said that if attention was not paid to prevent communicable diseases, the number of patients would keep increasing.
A poster exhibition and slogan-forming competition was also organised. The activity was arranged by the Punjab AIDS Control Programme (PACP) in lieu of World AIDS Day. A poster prepared by Dr Zarabia Butt and a slogan prepared by Dr Afeera were declared winners.
IPH dean Professor Mauz Ahmad said there were over 35 million AIDS patients in the world. He said the only way to avoid contracting the HIV virus was to avoid unsafe sexual relationships. He said untested blood should not be used for transfusions. He said used syringes should be destroyed and disposing off.
PACP project director Dr Salman Shahid said there were 2,246 registered AIDS patients in Punjab. He said 1,160 of these were receiving treatment at nine centres supported by the Punjab Health Department, UNICEF and Global Fund.
He said Punjab was the only province in Pakistan where the government was running an AIDS control programme using its own funds for the last three years. He said the government would keep running the programme with full commitment.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 20th, 2012.
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