Sohail Anjum Malik
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a chronic, potentially life-threatening condition caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). By damaging your immune system, HIV interferes with your body’s ability to fight infection.
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system. If HIV is not treated, it can lead to AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome).
There is currently no effective cure. Once people get HIV, they have it for life.
But with proper medical care, HIV can be controlled. People with HIV who get effective HIV treatment can live long, healthy lives and protect their partners.
United Nations World Health Organization is taking steps to eradicate and prevent this disease. According to a United Nations report, seven new people are being infected with HIV every minute, and 90 percent of those infected are from developing countries. Someone It can lead to great tragedy Most of the AIDS victims are from developing and poor countries and the prevalence is higher in African countries.
One of the major reasons for this is the negative attitudes of our society. People look down on such patients. This is the reason why people living with AIDS hide their problems from the society and not because of this overall negative reaction of the society. Not only the prevention measures are not working but the spread of the disease is increasing and such patients are detrimental not only to themselves but also to the so Baluchistan. During 2016-17, the number of people living with AIDS has increased by more than 8000 in which Punjab, similarly significant number in other provinces including Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Gilgit Biltistan (GB)
Authorities in Pakistan have begun a three year antiretroviral treatment programme, for which drugs are being imported from India. Four treatment centres have been set up—in Islamabad, Peshawar, Lahore, and Karachi. The programme aims to provide treatment to 8000 infected people at the five centres.
Dr. Irshad Kazmi is famous name in this regard who has contributed both in the government and private sector to prevent and make the arrangements of treatment in all provinces of Pakistan including AJK and GB.
Dr. Tariq Zafar entered in this field with the name of “Nai Zindagi” and worked very hard creating awareness in the Pakistani societyand making treatment centers in. Karachi. Islamabad. Lahore. Multan. Faisalabad, Gujrat and was on his way to spread this awareness and treatment centers in other cities of Pakistan by the help of International donars from Netherlands and WHO. But unfortunately he died younger couple of years ago. I met his people and management afterwards in the their office in Islamabad. Wife of late Dr. Tariq Zafar has taken over the charge of “Nai Zindagi Trust” two years ago and also looks committed and to focused to this cause to reduce number of patients of HIV AIDS in Pakistan and to bring more easy and accessable awareness about HIV to common class people of Pakistan in future.
The writer is senior journalist and columnist based Islamabad