By Rafiullah Mandokhail,
ZHOB: “HIV-Aids is a deadly disease that needs concrete steps to prevent it. We have left no stone unturned for the welfare of police department,” said District Police Officer Muhammad Anwer Badini and Assistant Superintendent Central Jail Rafiq Kakar while speaking at HIV-Aids awareness sessions held at police line and central prison here on Wednesday. Assistant Superintendent Dur Muhammad Mandokhail and Dr. Dawood Mandokhail were also present on the occasion. The awareness sessions were organized by AHSAS-Pk and attended by police personal and prisoners in a large number.
President AHSAS-Pk Shahbaran Mandokhail shed light on the initiative taken by the organization to create awareness about HIV-Aids at the district level.
“AHSAS-Pk and the Provincial Aids Control Programme have jointly started integrated efforts to cope with the spread of HIV-Aids at the district level across Balochistan. The ten-day campaign is aimed at creating awareness among general public,” he said.
Speaking on the occasion, former medical superintendent DHQ civil hospital Dr. Mustafa Kamal Mandokhail said that unsafe blood transfusions and the use of unsterilised medical equipments were the main causes behind the spread of HIV-Aids.
He deplored that despite all-out efforts, those infected with the disease were not still ready to talk on the issue. He called for close and active collaboration with media for removing stigmas attached to the fatal disease.
“Lack of awareness, drugs use, inadequate blood transfusion screening and unsafe health and sex practices were some of the factors responsible for spread of the disease.
“If the disease is left untreated, HIV morphs into AIDS, that paralyzes the immune system,” Dr. Kamal warned.
According to the official data, 2,300 inmates at 11 jails in the province have been screened and 29 out of them found positive for the virus. Moreover around 5,000 people among Balochistan’s 12 million residents are infected with HIV-Aids.
