ISLAMABAD: Health Minister Mustafa Kamal on Monday called for more focus on preventive healthcare and effective public awareness campaigns to curb the spread of HIV/Aids across the country.
He was chairing a meeting of the Joint Working Group on HIV/Aids prevention and control.
Retired Maj Gen Azhar Mahmood Kayani, head of the Common Management Unit, provincial health secretaries and representatives, as well as officials of healthcare commissions from all four provinces, attended the meeting. The meeting reviewed the current HIV situation in the country, implementation of the national programme and mechanisms for monitoring its progress. It also examined progress on recommendations approved by the Prime Minister’s Task Force on HIV/Aids.
Representatives of the Punjab and Sindh Healthcare Commissions briefed the meeting on the measures being taken and progress made in preventing and controlling HIV/Aids in their respective provinces.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) also briefed the forum on its HIV/Aids awareness campaign and efforts to improve public understanding of prevention and treatment.
Mustafa Kamal said treatment alone would not be sufficient to eliminate HIV/Aids and stressed the need to give special attention to preventive healthcare and effective awareness initiatives. He said people could obtain information about HIV treatment and other necessary services by calling the National Health Protection Helpline at 1166. Ikram Junaidi