The Acting Speaker, National Assembly Murtaza Javed Abbasi has said that HIV/AIDS was the issue of concern for whole world and this crippling disease was also spreading rapidly in Pakistan. He said that ignorance was the major cause for spreading this fatal disease. He stressed the need for stringent awareness campaign to combat HIV/AIDs. He expressed these views while talking to UNAIDs team headed by Steve Kraus Director, Regional Support Team for Asia who called on him in Parliament House, today.
The Acting Speaker has said that Government has given high priority to prevention and control of HIV/AIDs in the country. “It was honour for me to be a part of struggle for making Pakistan free from HIV/AIDs,” he said. He expressed his concern over growing rate of HIV/AIDs in Pakistan and vowed to make all possible efforts to sensitize the masses in this regard. Recalling his meetings along with other Parliamentarian with the representatives of UNAIDS about finding way out to contain this fatal disease from Pakistan, he said that the members of the Parliament have shown keen interest to aware the masses about HIV/AIDs and effectively monitored the measures adopted by the hospitals to make the country free from HIV. The Acting Speaker lauded the United Nations in their efforts to eradicate HIV/AIDs virus and expressed his gratitude to United Nations for under taking this noble work for humanity.
Discussing Pakistan’s efforts to achieve developments goals, he informed the UN team members that the Parliament of Pakistan has transformed its agenda from Millennium Development Goals (MDG) to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and has already constituted Parliamentary Task Forces at national and provincial levels for monitoring and evaluation purposes of steps taken to achieve these goals.
Mr. Steve Kraus, Director, Regional Support Team for Asia, highlighted issues related to HIV/AIDS in Pakistan and expressed his concerned regarding the current situation of HIV/AIDS in Pakistan. He said that national leadership can play vital role to curtail this issue and assured all technical and financial support and cooperation of USAIDS to find way out for HIV/AIDS. He appreciated the steps taken by the government of Pakistan to initiate community based testing for HIV/AIDs that will lead to treatment and prevention of the fatal disease.
