LARKANA: An awareness walk organized by the Sindh AIDS Control Programme was taken-out here on Wednesday, to mark the World AIDS Day to create mass awareness against the fatality of AIDS that has risked the lives of millions of people worldwide.
This year the theme of the day is “End Inequalities, End AIDS”, highlighting the fact that as much as the virus itself, the social stigma attached with it also greatly affects people.
The walk was led by Dr. Anila Isran, In-charge of AIDS Treatment Center for Women at Sheikh Zayed Women’s Hospital Larkana and Dr. Gulzar Tunio.
While the walk was largely participated by Doctors, City School Larkana Campus Principal Nuzhat Pathan and students, para-medical staff, lady health workers, social workers, students, teachers, Scouts and others.
The walk started from the Sheikh Zayed Women’s Hospital Larkana and marched all the important thoroughfares of the Larkana city and concluded at CMC Children Hospital Larkana.
Talking to media on the occasion, Dr. Anila Isran and Dr. Gulzar Tanio said that the rate of AIDS patients in Pakistan is less than 1%. There are 4 treatment centers where Sindh government is providing complete free treatment and medicine for AIDS, they said.
They said that however, every member of society must play their part in preventing the spread of HIV, especially high-risk individuals should undergo their own HIV screening and if HIV positive, timely and complete treatment with the advice of a physician. It is possible to increase the spread of the disease by hiding it, they added.
Dr. Anila Isran and Dr. Gulzar Tanio said that HIV/Aids is transmitted from one person to another through blood transfusions, used syringes, and various others reasons.
They further said that it is important to note that this incurable disease is not definite, while all the pregnant women who came to the Women’s Hospital Larkana HIV/AIDs Treatment Center were given timely treatment due to which the prevalence of HIV in the children born to them is zero. But this is possible only if people prefer treatment rather than hiding their disease.