President Mamnoon Hussain Friday urged the international community to help the developing and under-developed world in reducing risks of HIV and AIDS by sharing advanced knowledge and expertise.
The president was talking to United Nations (UN) Secretary General’s Special Envoy on HIV/AIDS in Asia & Pacific JVR Prasada Rao at the Aiwan-e-Sadr.
The president acknowledged the support of the UN to Pakistan towards AIDS control and said as HIV was an issue of global concern it was important that the international community specially focuses on Aids prevention and cure in the less developed countries.
The president said the federal and provincial governments were fully alive to their responsibilities to work towards prevention and cure of the HIV and assured that the government would continue to focus on enhancing the capabilities of health-care professionals to cope with the deadly disease.
Highlighting government’s efforts to combat AIDS, the president said that the Ministry of National Health Services in collaboration with national and provincial AIDS Control programs and international partners was taking concerted and coordinated steps towards its prevention and cure. He said the government of Pakistan will take all possible steps for the testing and treatment of those with HIV and AIDS.
The president urged the concerned government institutions, civil society, philanthropists, media and NGOs to play their active role in creating greater awareness about HIV and AIDS and to help its prevention.
The president expressed hope that the visit of UN Special Envoy on HIV AIDS would help Pakistan further strengthen its national HIV response.
The UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy JVR Prasada Rao appreciated the strong resolve of the government and the steps being taken for prevention and cure of the disease in Pakistan.
The special envoy was accompanied by director UNAIDS Regional Support Team Asia and the Pacific Steven J Kraus, UN Resident Coordinator for Pakistan Timo Pakkala, Community Mobilisation and Networking Advisor Ms Fahmida Iqbal Khan and representative UNAIDS Pakistan & Afghanistan Marc Saba.
