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Exclusive: Global Fund fears possible spread of HIV among Pakistani population
Karachi: The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria said Saturday that it was worried about the possible spread of HIV in the Pakistani population in Pakistan. A recent outbreak in the Ratoderoa region in Larkana (and many others before) crisis.
"The spread of HIV in Pakistan is worrying. Long considered content in high-risk groups, including injecting drug users, it is now about to affect the general population. Larkana (and the many epidemics that occurred before in Pakistan) is only the symptom of a more serious crisis. There is no reason to panic, but also no reason to refuse, "said Dr. Werner Buehler, Senior Portfolio Manager of the Global Fund in Geneva, in response to written requests from The News International.
In response to The News's questions about the HIV / AIDS situation in Pakistan and the possible purchase of antiretroviral drugs for HIV-infected children in the Ratodero region of Pakistan, the Global Fund official confirmed that the fund has started to buy antiretrovirals for children (ART / ARV). medicines for children infected with HIV in the region of Ratodero in Larkana, Sindh "through our Rapid Supply Mechanism, after consultation with WHO on the most appropriate treatment regimens".
"We have actually started procuring pediatric antiretrovirals, through our Rapid Procurement Mechanism, after consulting with WHO the most appropriate regimens," said Dr. Werner Buehler in his mail electronic to this secretary.
Since April 25, 2019, more than 742 people, including 605 children, have been tested positive for HIV in the Ratodero area of Larkana, Sindh Aids Control Program (SACP) officials said, adding that the majority of children (411 ) were between two and five years old. under one year old and 57 years old.
Following reports of child deaths from HIV / AIDS-related co-infections in the Ratodero region of Larkana, officials from the World Health Organization (WHO) in Pakistan have stated that he had asked the Global Fund to provide antiretroviral drugs to approximately 500 children under five who could not take a tablet drug.
Dr. Sikandar Memon, SACP Program Manager, said to date that they already have 420 HIV-positive people in Sindh. They were registered and regularly receiving antiretroviral drugs provided by the Global Fund. They also started administering antiretrovirals to 190 new children diagnosed at the pediatric HIV treatment center in Larkana.
In Pakistan, the Global Fund official said he was providing treatment to about 15,000 people living with HIV in Pakistan. He said: "We have seen a mbadive increase in the number of people on antiretroviral therapy over the past four or five years, mainly because of the revision of treatment guidelines and decentralized testing in the drug community. This is a good development because people on antiretroviral therapy can no longer transmit the virus and can lead healthy, normal lives. "
"But it has financial consequences," said Dr. Buehler. "The Global Fund remains the only source of funding for antiretroviral therapy in Pakistan. It is urgent that the government (of Pakistan) plan and pay for the purchase of medicines in the domestic market. It is also necessary to decentralize as much as possible the provision of HIV testing and services. Only then can we overcome one of the biggest barriers to treatment, namely distance, "he added.
Dr. Werner Buehler said the Global Fund will continue to support Pakistan's fight against HIV in the near future. "We are doing our best to prevent further human suffering, but we realize that the US $ 12 million spent by the HIV Fund in Pakistan each year may not be sufficient at this stage. We hope the government will find the resources to intensify the fight. "
The Global Fund official said that the media and independent journalism have a major role to play in raising awareness of the nature of HIV. This supposes that more and more journalists acquire technical knowledge about the epidemic, its causes, its treatment, its prevention, in order to comment critically on the situation and to repeat the right messages at every opportunity.
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