LARKANA:As many as 31 new HIV positive adult cases were registered in one month of December, 2019 at the HIV/AIDS Treatment and Care Center in Larkana, which means every day a new case emerged in the said month. Out of total 2931 registered cases 2433 were on HAART (Highly Active Anti-Retro viral Therapy).
As many as 2124 among them are males, 727 females, 41 children and 39 trans-genders.
Out of 2124 registered males only 1761 are on HAART. Likewise out of 727 registered HIV positive females only 614 are on HAART, out of 41 registered children only 29 are on HAART and out of 39 registered eunuchs only 29 are on HAART which means many of them are either absconding, have shifted to other centers or have expired but the bosses of Sindh AIDS Control Program (SACP) have taken no pains to track them down and bring them to treatment centers despite having all resources and information about their residences.
As many as 1293 cases out of total of 2931 belong to Larkana district alone which shows the gravity of the issue. 442 belong to Kambar-Shahdadkot district, 296 to Dadu, 236 to Khairpur Mirs, 208 to Shikarpur, 101 to Jacobabad, 96 to Sukkur, 80 to Naushehro Feroze, 40 to various areas of Balochistan, 57 to Kandhkot @ Kashmore, 36 to Ghotki, 27 to Jamshoro, 12 to Nawabshah and others.
The most affected age group is between 16 to 30 years as their number of HIV positive cases is 1618 and 814 are between 31 to 40 years. 283 HIV people are also infected with Hepatitis C, 46 are suffering from Hepatitis B and 142 are on anti-kock.
These figures proves that SACP has failed to accomplish its only task of curbing spread of this virus as in 2007 only eight cases were registered in Larkana. Intravenous drug users, male and female sex workers are yet to be screened which is termed high risk population.
Meanwhile, four HIV positive cases were detected out of 50 screened at the screening camp working since 25th April, 2019 at Taluka Headquarter Hospital in Ratodero.
The number of affected cases has risen to 1235 out of which 73 are adult males, 187 adult females, 599 male and 376 female children. So far 38,658 people among the general population have been tested for the viral disease which has hit the residents very badly and headlines globally.
Proper data of these affected cases is not being shared by SACP as to where do they belong, how many of them are on ART and how many of their siblings have been so far been screened which is must as per international protocols. SACP is constantly hiding the facts for repercussions and side effects.