UN offers assistance over HIV prevalence

islamabad — Pakistan should chip in with all resources available to contain HIV, a senior official of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/ Aids (UNAIDS) has said, a media report said on Thursday.

“Since Karachi is among the top cities of the world where HIV’s prevalence is high, it is time to work more efficiently among such communities in this city, including raising awareness among all stakeholders to keep the disease in check,” said Mamadou Sakho, Country Director, UNAIDS Pakistan and Afghanistan, at a media briefing on Wednesday.

He said it was time to work among the communities, which were vulnerable to the disease. They were termed the ‘most at risk’ populations, including people who inject drugs, transgender people, male and female sex workers and prisoners, Dawn news reported.

“At present, Pakistan is among the countries where specific communities are exposed to HIV, warranting us to work among them and contain the disease. If it is not done and the disease gets generalised like it is in the countries of Africa, it will become too difficult to rein it in.”