Dormant NACP in the wake of mounting HIV&AIDS in Balochistan

By Bari Baloch

QUETTA, Dec 2: As the number of HIV and AIDS in Balochistan mounts to 330, the Balochistan office of the National National Aids Control Programme (NACP) continues to remain dysfunctional owing to a chronic fiscal crunch, official sources said on Wednesday.

According to sources, the number of patients suffering from AIDS was 322 last year and this year the number has increased to 330. They said that total number of patients might be more because many possible cases had yet to be diagnosed yet.

Sources said that patient suffering from HIV and AIDS mostly belonged to Quetta, Tump, Mand , Turbat , Zhob and Sherani areas.

It was leant hat scores of drug addicts had also been affected by the HIV “Drug addicts are also spreading this virus by using syringes”, said one official.

The NACP is funded by the government of Pakistan and the World Bank. According to PC-I of this programme, it had been provided Rs 230 million which could not be spent because the allocated funds were insufficient for many of the projects that turned out to be costlier than the estimations made earlier.

Sources said that provision of funds had been demanded from the government so that different AIDS control projects could be started.

AIDS Control Programme representative Amanullah Kakar told The Baloch Hal that deported people from the Gulf and European countries had also caused spread of virus.

He said that although government and non-governmental organizations were working to contain the spread of the virus in the province, more work needed to be done.

Medical experts have expressed fear that the number of patients suffering from HIV and AIDS could further increase in the province if immediate steps were not taken for its prevention.

“Pakistanis being deported from the Gulf and European countries should be medically examined at airports before they are allowed to return to the country,” recommended one medical expert.