The Punjab AIDS Control Program has tested over 3000 people in Sargodha’s Kot Imrana village and adjoining villages to investigate the prevalence of HIV/AIDS, Technical Team informed Program Director PACP Dr. Asim Altaf in a meeting at the PACP office Birdwood Road here on Wednesday.
“The week-long camp was organized to ascertain the scale and extent of HIV prevalence in the area and the camp covered population in Kot Imrana, Bhabra, Bucha Kalan, Pindi Rawan and adjoining areas. The samples have been collected and submitted to Central Lab for PCR and other tests. The final report will be shared with the Secretary Primary and Secondary Healthcare,” Program Director Punjab AIDS Control Program said Coordination was made with Sargodha district team for local support. Deputy Commissioner Sargodha Liaqat Ali Chatha personally supervised the activity, providing complete support and facilitated the holding the camp at the identified site. “The area has been under the scanner for quite some time as data analysis pointed to the presence of a pocket here. We laid special emphasis here during Health Week and Hepatitis Weeks in the past few months. More recently, we set up camp in October in Bucha Kalan to further investigate the HIV/AIDS cases. Program Director Dr. Asim Altaf further said, “We are conducting a situational analysis and track epidemiological pattern (if any) consistent with the transmission of the virus. A special investigation (epidemiological study) is also being conducted to investigate an evidence-based primary mode of transmission.” “Once the tests are confirmed, we will look into possibility of setting up a center in the nearest vicinity to facilitate the patients,” Dr. Asim Altaf said. Minister Primary and Secondary Healthcare Khawaja Imran Nazir has visited the area and personally supervised the camps there. The Minister inaugurated a Center in DHQ Chiniot in December 2017 after the reporting of over two dozen cases in a village in Chiniot suburbs. The HIV/AIDS patients can live normal lives with the use of Anti Retroviral medicines. The PACP has set up 15 Treatment Center and 11 Voluntary Confidential and Testing Centers across the province where free testing, counseling and treatment services are available.