Stigma forces Aids patients in Pakistan to remain untreated
ISLAMABAD: Though there are 120,000 people affected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) or Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (Aids) in the country, only 8,000 of them are registered with the government departments.
Due to the social stigma attached with the disease, most of the patients hesitated to get themselves registered for treatment.
This was stated by Minister for Education, Training and Standards in Higher Education Mohammad Balighur Rehman in the Senate on Tuesday. He was responding to questions by the senators before the arrival of health minister Saira Afzal Tarar in the house.
In reply to a question by Syed Tahir Hussain Mashadi, Mr Rehman said majority of people got infected with HIV because of unsafe system of blood transfusion, quakes and unhygienic dental clinics and other places.
He said there were 18 hospitals for the patients infected with Aids all over the country, including 10 in Punjab, five in Sindh, two in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and one in Balochistan.
Senator Farah Aqil of the Awami National Party (ANP) expressed concerns over the data provided by the ministry of health.
I doubt about the number of the Aids patients. The disease has been increasing rapidly all over the country so the ministry should take necessary steps to control it, she said.
In the meantime, the minister for health, Saira Afzal Tarar, reached the house and informed the senators that the government was providing medical assistance to the Aids patients besides creating awareness among the citizens with the support of Global Fund.
Without mentioning the name of the school, the minister said: Literature was distributed in an educational institution to create awareness about the disease (Aids) but the parents and teachers started criticising the campaign due to which it was stopped. She said the ministry was considering restarting the campaign because of sensitivity of the issue.
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ISLAMABAD: Though there are 120,000 people affected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) or Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (Aids) in the country, only 8,000 of them are registered with the government departments.
Due to the social stigma attached with the disease, most of the patients hesitated to get themselves registered for treatment.
This was stated by Minister for Education, Training and Standards in Higher Education Mohammad Balighur Rehman in the Senate on Tuesday. He was responding to questions by the senators before the arrival of health minister Saira Afzal Tarar in the house.
In reply to a question by Syed Tahir Hussain Mashadi, Mr Rehman said majority of people got infected with HIV because of unsafe system of blood transfusion, quakes and unhygienic dental clinics and other places.
He said there were 18 hospitals for the patients infected with Aids all over the country, including 10 in Punjab, five in Sindh, two in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and one in Balochistan.
Senator Farah Aqil of the Awami National Party (ANP) expressed concerns over the data provided by the ministry of health.
I doubt about the number of the Aids patients. The disease has been increasing rapidly all over the country so the ministry should take necessary steps to control it, she said.
In the meantime, the minister for health, Saira Afzal Tarar, reached the house and informed the senators that the government was providing medical assistance to the Aids patients besides creating awareness among the citizens with the support of Global Fund.
Without mentioning the name of the school, the minister said: Literature was distributed in an educational institution to create awareness about the disease (Aids) but the parents and teachers started criticising the campaign due to which it was stopped. She said the ministry was considering restarting the campaign because of sensitivity of the issue.
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