HIV cases increasing in Balochistan

Increasing HIV cases is a serious problem for Balochistan.

According to the Balochistan Health Department Director General, Dr. Shakir Baloch, numbers of AIDS patients in the province had increased from 3,500 to 5,000 but only 1,334 were registered with the AIDS Control Programme.

He said that during a press conference at Quetta Press Club. World AIDS Day would be observed in the province in collaboration with the provincial AIDS Control Programme, UNICEF and other organizations. Notably, 911 patients of HIV-AIDS were being treated in Quetta and 301 in Turbat under the programme.

The DG also informed that HIV cases were reported in places like Qila Saifullah, Zhob, Gwadar, Lasbela, Sherani, Loralai, Nushki, Qilla Abdullah and Pishin. He further added, a total of 4,404 prisoners had been tested in various jails in Gadani, Quetta, Turbat and other areas of the province and 71 of them are suffering from HIV-AIDS.

Keeping the data into consideration, everybody definitely needs to be responsible enough to play a vital role to create awareness against HIV-AIDS. Notably, AIDS centers had been established in the Bolan Medical Complex Hospital and in Turbat.