Minister calls for collective efforts to defeat HIV / AIDS | Health

Minister calls for collective efforts to defeat HIV / AIDS

AAMER Mehmood Kiani, Federal Minister of National Health Services, said the government is committed to making sincere efforts to improve access to HIV prevention and treatment services by involving all stakeholders in raising awareness. HIV and the fight against stigma and discrimination.

The government also aims to support the empowerment of people living with HIV by creating an enabling environment and adopting an integrated multisectoral approach to addressing the socio-economic determinants responsible for the spread of HIV in the country.

He was speaking at a seminar on World AIDS Day. The minister said that Pakistan has about 150,000 people living with HIV.

Of these, only 25,000 are registered in HIV 33 treatment centers across the country.

"We must all shoulder our responsibilities and the crucial role we all need to play in freeing Pakistan from HIV. We still have a chance today as Pakistan faces a concentrated HIV epidemic that can be combated by a targeted and targeted approach. "

"We must unite to avoid a full-fledged HIV epidemic by taking immediate preventative measures, encouraging HIV testing and treatment, and fighting HIV-related stigma and discrimination to reduce the number of new infections." to HIV. "

The series of sensitization sessions organized at the community level as part of public awareness campaigns, educational institutes, decision-making institutions and health facilities / hospitals, so to share important information and statistics related to the HIV epidemic in the country, free HIV testing and treatment services are provided by the Government of Pakistan, it is commendable to reduce stigma and discrimination and to dispel misconceptions about HIV awareness. "

"We hope that every day will become a day of AIDS until we can liberate the threatened country. The Ministry of National Health, Regulatory and Co-ordination has made concrete and concerted efforts within the National AIDS Control Program to raise public awareness of HIV and has adopted an evidence-based approach. and high impact for the coming years, focused on the prevention and treatment of the disease. affected communities. "

Dr. Baseer Khan, head of the national AIDS program, said the "Know Your Status" theme for World AIDS Day in 2018 was also a reinforcement of fundamental human rights. allowing each individual to search for basic health services and to know his / her health status.

"Throughout the week, we had the opportunity to realize that HIV can be prevented and treated, so let's all take the first step towards HIV liberation in Pakistan as responsible citizens of this great country."