Prominent religious scholar Maulana Aftab Hussain Al Jawadi of Jamia Al-Kausar has said they can protect all future generations from HIV/AIDS by offering their children guidelines on taking effective precautionary measures.
In Pakistan about 130,000 people are affected with AIDS, suggests UNAIDS 2011 estimates. Over the time, the epidemic has spread from major urban centres to smaller cities and towns. For a long time the health policy makers remained under the assumption that either HIV incidences are non-existent or too low – which led to rampant increase in HIV cases.
Maulana Aftab further added that this fatal disease can spread from one individual to another through unprotected sexual activities, and it can also transfer from infected blood transfusion.
The findings moved Pakistan up from “low prevalence – high risk” category to a “concentrated epidemic” and initiated campaigns and studies. Eventually in 2009 government included HIV/AIDS in its National Health Policy.
The government’s prolonged complacency towards the fatal disease led to its spread – from 98,000 incidences recorded in the end 2009 to 130,000 in 2011. There has been increase of 32,000 cases within two years.
HIV is only transmitted through unprotected sexual contact with an HIV infected partner; transfusion of HIV infected blood and sharing of unsterilized syringes or needles with HIV positive person; HIV infected mother to child during pregnancy and breast feeding.
According to UNAIDS last report, highest level of percentage at 27.2 percent is exhibited amongst those who inject drugs with an average between 25 to 40 – followed by transgender and male sex workers at 5.2 percent and 1.6 percent, respectively. While female sex workers exhibit the lowest prevalence of 0.6 percent.
AIDS awareness groups and other organisations working to control the spread of the AIDS/HIV fear its spread to general population if the awareness campaigns are not set off widely.
