Effective Measures required to Prevent HIV AIDS Spread

December 1, 2007

Consumers Rights Commission of Pakistan (CRCP) has expressed serious concerns over high rate of growth in HIV AIDS infections in Pakistan . According to UNAIDS and National AIDS Control Program, the number of people infected with HIV AIDS is between 60,000 and 70,000, which is 0.1 percent of the total population. Majority of these people are in the age group of 20-44 years. The ratio of males infected with HIV AIDS is seven times higher than women. Although the total number of people with HIV AIDS is still far behind India and Africa, but it growing at an alarming pace and becoming a major threat to human life in the country.

According to UNAIDS estimates, there are about 33.2 million people living with HIV, including 2.5 million children. Around half of all people who become infected with HIV do so before they are 25 and are killed by AIDS before they are 35. About 95 percent people with HIV/AIDS live in developing nations.

While highlighting the reasons for spread of HIV AIDS, CRCP Secretary General Mian Abrar Hafeez said that unsafe homogenous and heterogeneous sexual intercourses were among the major reasons of the infection. Another major reason was the multiple usage of syringes without proper sterilization. According to an estimate, about 30 percent of drug users only in Karachi are found infected with HIV AIDs due to unsafe use of syringes. Social taboo attached with this disease is further restricting HIV Treatment Preparedness.

CRCP emphasized that the measures to curb the increasing menace of AIDS in Pakistan needed to be scaled up and made more effective. The government has established more than 40 centers for tests and diagnosis of HIV AIDS in Islamabad and the four provinces. Many people infected with this disease do not access these centers due to social taboos. CRCP has urged the vulnerable populations to access these centers for tests and treatment preparedness and register with them. It has demanded that more resources should be put in to promote precautionary measures to prevent HIV AIDS spread.