SUKKUR:HIV/AIDS cases have been increasing day by day in several districts of the northern Sindh specially in Larkana due to lack of awareness and education about the disease. This was stated by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Inter Global Human Development Society (IGHDS) Dr Shakil Ahmed Jamil while addressing an awareness program held at Shikarpur in connection with marking the World HIV/AIDS Day on Thursday.
The awareness programme was attended by representatives of different NGOs, Journalists and paramedical staff.
Dr Shakil Ahmed said that mass-media, both print and electronics, had vital role to play in changing mindset towards the transgender and other socially excluded people to ensure their fundamental rights. He emphasized the need for creating awareness among the people about the chronic diseases, its causes and prevention with a view to containing the spread of this disease in the region.
He said that precautionary measures and raising the awareness were necessary to control the prevalence of disease. He said major high risk groups of HIV/AIDS prevalence included long distance truck drivers, female sex workers, transgender sex workers, men having sex with men (MSMs), injecting drug users (IDUs), jail inmates, children born to infected parent, street children and victims of unsafe medical procedures.
Speaking on the occasion, Coordinator, IGHDS Moona Bhutto said that media could play a pro-active role in ending the discrimination being shown to HIV/AIDS affected persons by publishing inspiring stories and articles on denial of health care, marital rights, employment and family support. She said disease can contract people through un-sterilised instruments used by beauty parlours and barber shops.
Journalists shared their experiences in writing about AIDS/HIV reporting, while representatives of NGOs appealed the media men to be more sensitive while reporting stories on HIV/AIDS affected persons.