Manager Provincial AIDS Control Program Dr. Afzal Khan Zarkoon here on Tuesday disclosed that there were more than 7000 patients suffering from HIV Aid in Balochistan fearing that if not controlled, the number of the patients would rise to an alarming level. He said this while chairing a meeting organized by the AIDS Control Program and NET member organizations to finalize the activities related to World AIDS Day this year at the office of the Provincial AIDS Control Program.
Civil society representatives including Amanullah Kakar, Watanyar Khalji Fahmida, and officials of the Provincial AIDS Control Program participated in the meeting. The meeting expressed concern over the increase in the number of AIDS patients and it was told that only in Quetta, the number of patients had increased by 250 this year compared to last year and AIDS was found in eighteen out of one hundred transgenders in Quetta this year. It was decided in the meeting that this year, the campaign to celebrate World AIDS Day would be started from November 25 which would continue till December 5.
It was decided that various seminars and awareness sessions would be held during this campaign, while awareness programs would also be aired in different regional languages on radio and TV. A grand event will be organized on World AIDS Day on 1st December, while various other activities will be organized to create awareness among the people, the meeting decided.
