HIV in Pakistan
The Human Immunodeficiency Virus is increasing more on daily bases, especially in this challenging situation of Covid-19 pandemic. According to the country progress report, currently, Pakistan has an estimated 183,705 people living with HIV in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan and two autonomous states: Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK), Gilgit Baltistan, and Islamabad Capital Territory(ICT). Similarly, the highest number of HIV cases are often reported from Punjab followed by Sindh. Together these two provinces accounted for 91pc of the total number of HIV.
However, Acquired Immune Deficiency task was missed, says (UNAIDS). The latest progress report of the Global HIV prevention coalition shows that despite observing a decline in new HIV infections among adults in several countries, overall progress in HIV prevention efforts remains variable is too slow to reach the 2020 targets committed at the 2016 United Nation high-level meeting on ending AIDS.
Meanwhile, UNICEF estimated that approximately once every minute and 40 seconds, a child or young person the age of 20 was infected with HIV last year, calling on governments to protect, sustain and accelerate efforts to combat childhood HIV. While nearly 320,000 children and adolescents were newly infected with HIV and 110,000 children died of AIDS last year.
Finally, this is the fundamental rights of every citizen of any country that he/she should be ensured about such deadly diseases and other pandemics. Therefore, the government and concern organizations are requested to conduct awareness sessions so that people can make their own self safe from AIDS.