ISLAMABAD – Pakistan has an estimated 150,000 HIV patients of whichapproximately 75,000 of the PLHIV are in Punjab, 60,000 in Sindh and around15,000 of PLHIV are based inKP and province of Balochistan.
The Ministry of National Health Services submitted a report before athree-member bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Mian SaqibNisar, hearing a case regarding spreading of HIV/AIDS in the country.
According to the report, some 150,000 people of country are living with HIVwherein the (province of Punjab having some 75,000 people with PLHIV whilethe province of Sindh is on second position with some 60,000 and around15000 of the PLHIV are based in KP and Province of Blaochsitanrespectively. It was informed that in June-July 2008 a Non-GovernmentalOrganisation (NGO) in Jalalpur Jattan (JPJ), Gujrat, arranged two HIVscreening camps.
Of the 246 individuals screened 88 were found HIV positive on therecommended WHO three test protocol and referred to the ART Center Lahore.
It was informed that the Pakistan Field Epidemology Training and LaboratoryTraining Programme (FELTP) investigated the outbreak and found infectedtherapeutic use (use of same syringe on multiple patients by quacks) to bethe source of infections.
The report revealed that an estimated 20,000 new HIV infections were addedto the Pool of PLHIV in the country of which 28 percent of the newinfection occurred in PWID, 12 percent in MSN, 3 percent in TGS and 2percent in FSW3.
A significant percentage of low risk males, females and clients of KPS werenewly infected suggesting an increase in HIV transmission to bridgingpopulation (spouses, partners and clients) of key population.
According to the report the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) to date,continue to provide free of cost HIV treatment and diagnostic servicesthrough 33 HIV treatment centers (adult and peadiatric) across the country.