PROVINCIAL HIV / AIDS CONTROL PROGRAMME-GoNWFP

Background of Provincial HIV / AIDS Control Programme-NWFP

In Pakistan the visible burden of disease is still not very significant and prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the country is still below 1% although existing behavior patterns signify it to be a high risk situation. The total number of reported HIV/AIDS people of 30th June 2005 is 2,943 and that of AIDS is 321. Although the most common mode of transmission among the reported cases is still heterosexual there have recently been rising the number of infections due to sharing of the injecting equipment by the injecting drug user population. Most reported cases are in the 20-44 years age group and female ratio is 7:1. However based on the reports from sentinel centers and a number of cross sectional studies and surveys conducted recently there are an estimated 74,000 HIV/AIDS cases in Pakistan.In the initial stages of the epidemic in the country, the response by the Government was slow in the view of small number of visible cases, later on however the Enhanced commitment was infected by increasing allocations of funds, Expenditure and Staffing in both the national and Provincial Programmes. In 1999~2000 the GOP through the consultative process involving a large number of stake holders, developed a National Strategic Framework for HIV / AIDS that outlined broad strategies and priorities for effective control of the epidemic, which was provided for an increased focus on working with vulnerable populations. The framework was reflected actions of the Government in response to the commitments made in the Millennium Summit and the UNGASS. An Enhanced Programme was developed and it is now in the second year of implementation with assistance from the “World Bank”, which addresses the priority areas in the strategic framework and the key vulnerabilities prevalent in the country. The Project broadly encompasses the areas which includes, controlling the spread of HIV/AIDS so that it does not drain the limited Health Sector resources, successfully and rapidly scalling up the important communicatable disease control activities, particularly in the context of HIV/AIDS, using targetted approach, introduce the systematic approach to quality assurance including effective monitoring and supervision, establish the mechanism for a government to work with the private sector on a large scale espacially to the service delivery packages in the vulnerable populations Female Sex Workers (FSW's), Male having sex with Male (MSM's), injecting Drug Users (IDU's), long distance truckers, jail inmates, labours, miners, seamen.

OBJECTIVES OF PROVINCIAL AIDS CONTROL PROGRAMME-NWFP:-

1.	To ensure SBT by establishing Screening centers in all public and provate sector Blood Banks by year 2010 ...
2.	To provide comphrensive & Sustainable services to 60% of the vulnerable groups of population by year 2010...
3.	To ensure that 70% of the General Population is aware of and has the knowledge about HIV/AIDS, STIs/RTIs....
4.	To Ensure capacity building of the relevant staff, both in public, privatesector as an on-going activity....
5.	To create an enabling environment with a view to facilitate the attainment of the above stated goals and objectives.

PROGRAMME COMPONENTS:-

1.	Increased Prevalence of Safe Behaviour and Improved availability of STI Services
2.	Improved Knowledge & practice of HIV prevention measures including use of high quality STI services by general popn.
3.	Reduce transmission of HIV/STI through blood transfusion .
4.	Programme Managment and capacity building.

Development History of HIV / AIDS In July 1981, the New York Times reported an outbreak of a rare form of cancer among gay men in New York and California. This "gay cancer" as it was called at the time was later identified as Kaposi's sarcoma, the face of AIDS. About the same time, emergency rooms in New York City began to see a rash of seemingly healthy young men presenting . More...	Difference Between HIV & AIDS HIV is the virus that causes AIDS, where H.Human: because this virus can only infect human beings. I. Immuno-deficiency: because the effect of the virus is to create a deficiency, a failure to work properly, within the body's immune system. V. Virus: because this organism is a virus, which means one of its characteristics is that it is incapable of reproducing by itself. More...
About World AIDS Day World AIDS Day, observed December 1st each year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS Pendemic caused by the spread of HIV infection. AIDS has killed more than 25 million people, with an estimated 38.6 million people living with HIV, making it one of the most destructive epidemics in recorded history. Despite recent, improved.......More...	Main Routes of Transmission of HIV / AIDS Research has revealed a great deal of valuable medical, scientific, and public health information about the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The ways in which HIV can be transmitted have been clearly identified. Unfortunately, false information or statements that are not supported by scientific findings...More...
Symptoms of HIV / AIDS Some people develop shortly after being infected. On average, it Takes more than 10 years. The first symptom of HIV disease is often Swollen lymph glands in the throat, armpit or groins. Other early Symptoms include slight fever, fatigue, muscle aches, and swollen glands. They may only last for a few weeks. Then there are usually no symptoms for many years. More...	Who to do the HIV / Test Testing positive for HIV means that you now carry the virus that causes AIDS. It does not mean that you have AIDS, nor does it mean that you will die. Although there is no cure for AIDS, many opportunistic infections that make people sick can be controlled, prevented or eliminated. This has substantially increased the longevity and quality of life for people living with AIDS.