World Aids Day: Experts say prevention only way to fight HIV Aids

MARDAN: Health experts here on Monday said that prevention was the only way to avoid contracting the HIV Aids.

They were speaking at a workshop at the Department of Medicine and Obstetrics and Gynecology Mardan Medical Complex to mark World Aids Day. The day is marked across the globe to raise awareness about HIV Aids to help prevent its spread and confront the social stigma associated with the disease.

Focal Person for HIV at Mardan Medical Complex and Chairman Department of Medicine Assistant Dr Shahzeb, Chairperson Department of Gynae Assistant Prof Dr Naila Noor, Zainab Wali (phycologist) were the keynote speakers.

They gave a detailed presentation about the HIV Aids, its causes, symptoms, diagnoses, treatment and to change people’s perception towards the disease and patients suffering from it. The speakers said that 37.7 million across the globe were suffering from HIV Aids, adding 200,000 patients in Pakistan and 6,364 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were diagnosed with HIV Aids. They said the infections was transmitted through blood transfusion, sharing/using needle with an infected person, sexual intercourse and vertical or generational transmission from parents to offspring.

They said that rapid weight loss, diathermia, pneumonia, recurring fever or profuse night sweats, red rashes on body, aching muscles, feeling exhausted, loss of appetite were among the symptoms.

The speakers said vertical transmission can be prevented by identifying infected pregnant women, practicing safe delivery practices, infant feeding, regular follow-up of a child upto two years of age and tracing and keeping in touch with the infected persons.

Zainab Wali said that the Family Care Centre was providing free screening, treatment and counseling to HIV Aids patients through its centres in eight hospitals of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. She said the organization had established its centre in Mardan Medical Complex in 2017 where so far 82 people had been diagnosed with HIV Aids.

She said that people should hate the disease and not the patient, adding that organizing awareness sessions on a regular interval were a must to raise awareness and dispel misconception about the disease to reduce its burden on the global healthcare system. Dean/CEO BKMC MMC Prof Dr Muhammad Fazil, MD Prof Dr Mukhtiar Ali, doctors and medical students attended the workshop. Later, an awareness walk was also organized.