KMU obseved World AIDS Day
Khyber Medical University (KMU)-Institute of Public Health & Social Sciences (IPH&SS) organized a seminar on Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) /Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) world day to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and demonstrate international solidarity in the face of the epidemic. Secretary Health Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Muhammad YahyaAkhunzada was the chief guest where as Vice Chancellor KMU Prof. Dr. Arshad Javaid grace the occasion as guest of honor. Besides other Registrar KMU Prof. Dr. Muhammad SaleemGandapur, Project Director Aids control program KP Dr. Muhammad Saleem Khan, CEO Health Care Commission Dr. Maqsud and Pro VC KMU Prof. Dr. ZialulHaq were also present at the occasion.
Talking to the seminar Secretary Health Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Muhammad YahyaAkhunzada reiterated the government’s promise to work towards the eradication and control of HIV / AIDS from the society. He maintained that the provincial governmentis conscious of its responsibilities and accord high preference to prevention and treatment of this disease. He said this year, the World AIDS day is really important for Pakistan after the discovery of a number of HIV/AIDS cases in the province of Sindh. Media’s attention and public reaction to the cases was a powerful reminder of the dislike of government and our society towards the global epidemic, he added.
While speaking to the event VC KMU Prof. Dr. Arshad Javaid said that according to UNAID, there are 160,000 HIV positive people in Pakistan, and they are those who are registered with the state-run AIDS control programs. The number could be worse as many even do not know if they are infected or not. This is due to prevailing ignorance about the disease and the scarcity of testing and screening facilities across the country. It is time the disease to be cured so that a new generation remains safe from the infectious destruction.Each of us needs to play our proper role in educating those communities about the concealed danger who may not know the fatalscale of the infectious killer. Those tested positive should not be labeled, instead they should be treated as common people,he added.
Talking to the seminar Project Director Aids control program Dr. Muhammad Saleem Khan highlighted that social prescription, unqualified doctors and hazardous sexual and medical practices, including the reuse of syringes, sharing of needles by drug users, insufficient screening of blood donors, and infected surgical and dialysis equipment, have all contributed to the highest prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Pakistan.Pro VC KMU Prof. Dr. Zia ulHaq, CEO health care commission Dr. Maqsud and Dr. Fawad CDC, China also talked to the seminar.
