WHO officials assure Sindh of technical support for donors’ moot in September

The Sindh government and the World Health Organisation (WHO) would jointly hold a donor’s conference in September this year to raise the required funds for the proper treatment and rehabilitation of HIV-affected people in the province and take the necessary measures to stop further spread of the infection.

WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (EMRO) has committed to developing and implementing an infection prevention, waste management and blood safety system in Larkana and Tharparkar districts.

These decisions were taken by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and WHO’s EMRO officials during back-to-back meetings to discuss the recent HIV outbreak in the Ratodero area of Larkana, growing incidence of the viral hepatitis in the province and other health issues.

A WHO delegation, led-by Dr Ahmed Salim Saif Al-Mandhari, regional director EMRO, is currently in Karachi and held talks with the Sindh minister on Tuesday and Wednesday. They also met with Governor Imran Ismail and called on Sindh Healthcare Commission (SHCC) officials and discussed issues related to health and safety in the province.

Other members of the delegation were Dr Rana Ahmed Hajjeh El-Kebbi, director program management EMRO; Dr Palitha Mahipala, head of mission to Pakistan; Dr Sara Salman, head of office, Sindh; while local officials who were present at the meeting included Principal Secretary to CM Sajjid Jamal Abro, Hafeez Abbasi Special Secretary Health and others.

World Health Organisation officials said that they would provide technical support for the donors’ conference to be hosted by the Sindh government in September 2019. They told the chief minister that they were working with Sindh AIDS Control Program in Larkana and had imparted them necessary training for the screening and treatment of HIV-affected people.

The chief minister said that through district administration a massive operation was in progress against quacks and substandard and unauthorised blood banks, and a public awareness programme had also been launched locally.

He told the delegation that he had established a Rs1 billion Endowment Fund for the treatment and rehabilitation of HIV- affected people. The delegation proposed to convene a donors conference in September so that kits, medicines and other material could be received. The chief minister agreed to the proposal and issued necessary directives for the purpose.

Shah maintained that he was planning to conduct screening in other districts also so that a comprehensive treatment and rehabilitation programme with the assistance of the donors could be launched all over Sindh.

He added that HIV/AIDs control education and awareness would be included in the curriculum. “The education department is working on the proposal and experts would also be taken on board so that script, stage/class can be decided,” he said. The WHO delegation also agreed with the chief minister on assisting the provincial government in the hepatitis control programme.

Team meets governor

Governor Imran Ismail said that measures taken to prevent the spread of HIV by WHO in Larkana were commendable. Talking to a delegation of WHO which called on him at the Governor House, he said that affected patients could lead a healthy life with the provision of best health facilities and medicines.

The governor said that besides combating the spread of HIV, a special campaign to raise awareness about the disease was also the need of the hour and in this regard the role of WHO was of utmost importance.

He added that imparting modern training to people associated with the medical sector would also prove to be helpful in combating the spread of such diseases. The WHO delegation led by its Regional Director Dr Ahmed Saleem Saif Al-Mandhri included its Director Program Management Dr Farah Ahmed, the WHO country head and other officials.

WHO Regional Director Dr Ahmed Salim Saif informed the governor that WHO was working in collaboration with the relevant authorities. He said that efforts were being made to ensure early stage diagnosis of HIV and its treatment, and the provincial government had been provided with 50,000 pre-qualified kits for the diagnosis of HIV.

Dr Ahmed Salim said that WHO had been a key partner in providing technical and logistic support to meet the challenges faced in responding to the unprecedented HIV outbreak, primarily affecting young children. WHO deployed a multi-disciplinary investigation team including senior experts in epidemiology, surveillance, treatment and care, infection prevention and control and blood safety. Most of the HIV positive children were under five years of age, he informed the governor.

SHCC meeting

The Sindh Healthcare Commission (SHCC) held a meeting with delegation of WHO EMRO (Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office) on the role of the SHCC in the elimination of Hepatitis C, review of the HIV outbreak in Larkana, and patient & injection safety.

The meeting was chaired by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) SHCC Dr Minhaj A. Qidwai.

He said the main purpose of setting up the SHCC was to improve the quality of healthcare services and ban quackery in the province in all its forms and manifestations.

On inquiry of the WHO team regarding pharmacy and blood banks, Dr Qidwai said that they were still with the health department; however, he had written letters to all corners for streamlining lacunae in the regulation of healthcare service delivery in Sindh.

Dr Mandhari appreciated the exemplary role of the SHCC in the enforcement of its act in a short time. He offered his complete support for the activities of the SHCC and said that he would speak to officials to support the commission for the important role being played in quality implement and dealing with quacks and to expand its work on a national level.