RATODERO:After the massive outbreak of HIV positive cases, Bridge Consultants, organized for the first time a training workshop on “Role of Media on HIV and Response and Responsible Reporting” at a local hotel Thursday for training of journalists of Ratodero, Naundero, Banguldero, Waris Dino Machi and other nearby villages who participated in large numbers.
The trainers including Fahmida Iqbal Khan of UNAIDS, journalists Waqar Bhatti and Nisar Khokhar, Dr.Ayaz of UNICEF and Dr. Saqib Shaikh of Sindh AIDS Control program (SACP), urged the participating media persons not to disclose the identity of the affected persons. They said that photos of the positive people should also not be published so that the people living with HIV could be able to live comfortably without discrimination by the society. They said HIV cannot be infected with shaking hands nor it can be spread with mosquito bites because it is purely Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV) hence the virus cannot survive in any animal or bird.
They said that HIV virus can travel from one human to another through unsafe blood transfusion only, at barber shops by usage of same blade, usage of same syringe etc. They said while reporting journalists should educate the people about the viral disease and they should not create stigma and discrimination for the affected people. They said no doubt Ratodero outbreak among the children was unprecedented in the world during current century but with taking required drugs regularly for lifetime these kids can live their lives comfortably, become engineers, doctors and have marriages and healthy children.
They said panic has been created through irresponsible reporting among the general population which should now be reduced by soft and correct reporting because journalists are the ears and eyes of the public. They said people start hating positive people which is wrong because they will not be affected while sharing meal with HIV people, They said that HIV is not a dreaded viral disease but it is a virus which can be treated with taking medicines regularly for life. Dr. Jameela Soomro, Altaf Soomro, Ali Raza Shah and others were also present on the occasion.
Newsdesk