The unsafe blood transfusion, use of un-sterilized medical/dental equipment, use of inject-able drugs and indulgence in immoral activities are the main causes of spreading of HIV/AIDS. More than 9,450 HIV positive people have been reported in Punjab till January, 2016, warned health professionals at an awareness seminar on HIV/AIDS at the Government College for Women in Gulberg on Monday.
The Provincial AIDS Control Programme of the Punjab Health Department arranged the seminar. Asmat Hashmi, the college Principal, was chief guest. Mohammad Faisal Majeed, the Deputy Project Director, briefed the audience about the disease situation in the province. Project Director Majeed gave an overview of the current situation in the Punjab, saying, "Awareness about the disease is a key to live a healthy life. The Punjab AIDS Control Programme is leading the provincial AIDS response and providing preventive, diagnostic and treatment services. The Punjab government is fully committed to provide funding for prevention and treatment of AIDS. Since 2010, the government has funded the programme from its own resources."
He also talked about the diagnostic and treatment services being provided through nine centres of voluntary counselling and testing and 13 surveillance and 10 treatment centres for adults and children and six prevention of parent to child transmission centres established in different public hospitals in the Punjab. "More than 9,450 HIV positive people have been reported in the Punjab till January 2016. At present, a total number of 6,456 patients are registered and 4213 are receiving regular anti-retro viral therapy. This is a life-long treatment," he added.
He also said the programme was also treating pregnant HIV positive women through its six prevention of parent to child transmission centre at the Services and Rehnuma Family hospitals in Lahore, the Allied Hospital in Faisalabad, the District Headquarters Hospitals in Gujrat, Sargodha and Dera Ghazi Khan. "If no treatment is provided during the pregnancy, 40 percent of children will be HIV positive," he added. He told his audience that the preventive services were being provided to 17,000 injecting drug users, 16,500 female sex workers and 10,000 male workers through 10 service delivery projects in different cities.