Daily Times, 8 December 2014

KARACHI - Pakistan having assumed concentrated epidemic phase of HIV/AIDS, with around five per cent prevalance in high risk groups including injecting drug users etc requires extreme care to protect people in general and youth in particular from contracting the virus either intravenous or through physical promiscuity.

Experts talking to APP on Monday, said that great responsibility lie upon parents and caretakers to guide their children and protect them against traumatic situations and fatal diseases. "This is particulalry crucial as around 65 per cent of our population comprise adolescents and youth who are in most active phase of their lives and therefore also susceptible to high risks," said Civil Hospital Pediatrics Department Head Prof Ayesha Mehnaz.

She urged parents to develop a fine balance between disciplining their children and also gaining their confidence so as to not only protect them against indulging in hazardous habits as smoking or, and hooked to addiction to contraband drugs. "There is need to protect kids against sexual abuse," said Prof. Ayesha, also actively involved in protection of children against abuse.

She said that parents being closest to the children need to help them understand biological and hormonal changes they experience during their adolescence phase of life and while assuming puberty. Sindh AIDS Prevention and Control Programme Dr Sikander Iqbal referring to vulnerability of youth to the ailment, if hooked to drug addiction, said syringes are registered to be the easily available mode for many of the local drug users. "Intravenous or injecting drug users constitute the major chunk of 7000 HIV estimated to be living in province followed by people with unacceptable behavioral problems, transgenders and commercial sex-workers," he said.

Dr Sikander of the Programme, also mentioned that intravenous or injecting drugs constitute the major chunk of these HIV carriers followed by people with unacceptable behavioral problems, transgenders and sex workers. It would be pertinent to mention that of 7000 HIV carriers 3200 are registered with AIDS Control Programme and receiving needed treatment absolutely free of cost. Dr M.Sulaiman Otho, a public health expert and researcher in issues related to blood borne infections referred to high incidence of Hepatitis B and C estimated to have affected no less than eight per cent of the local population.

"We must understand that means to contract HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis B and C are same and we have to protect our youth against these in a scenario where required guidance and understanding is yet to be created," he said.

Source: Daily Times