AIDS awareness campaign to run in country: DG Health
By Bushra Makhdoom

ISLAMABAD—National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) on Thursday launched month-long World AIDS Day campaign to create awareness and sensitizing the masses about the disease.
A booklet “From prevention through protection- expanding the HIV response for children and young people in Pakistan” also launched in a ceremony held here having relevant information about the disease and its prevention.
During the drive the main focus will be on prevention among adolescents and young people, prevention of parent to child transmission, providing paediatric treatment and protection ofaffected children.
Various activities will be part of campaign includingadvocacy, seminar with local government official, sports events, posters and story competitions on HIV/AIDS at national level. The campaign also includes outdoor activities like branding ofRawalpindi Railway Station with messages on HIV/AIDS and branding of places like restaurant, petrol pumps etc. in twin cities ofRawalpindi and Islamabad.
Other activities of the campaign included interactive streettheaters, stage shows, youth theater performances and a youth conference on sexual and reproductive health.
Similarly, in order to create awareness at mass level and totarget a number of audience, electronic and print media activities like talk shows, scrolls, infomercials, branding of tv and radio channels, messages dissemination through cable networks, articlesand press ads in leading newspapers will also be designed. During the drive information, education and communication material and red ribbons will also be distributed at mass level throughout the awareness drive.
Director General Health Maj Gen (R) Dr. Shahida Malik said the campaign aims at involving youth in all HIV/AIDS prevention activities to give them a sense of ownership. She said youth constitutes the largest cohort of country andconsidered as vulnerable to HIV/AIDS due to biological and social factors which make them involve in high risk behaviors.
She said the government is committed to fight against HIV/AIDSand has initiated a number of projects for youth to promote healthybehaviors among them. Country Representative UNICEF Martin said the government ofPakistan has shown its commitment to keeping the promise to the MDG goal 6 by providing leadership to make that goal a reality.
He said around 2% of the estimated 85,000 people living withHIV/AIDs in Pakistan are children under the age of 14 years. National Programme Manager NACP Dr. Asma Bokhari said that the campaign has particularly dedicated for youth who are more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS.
She said a multi-sectoral approach targeting people from different walks of life has been adopted for the success of the campaign to be ended on December 17. She said youth are among one of the most vulnerable group due to their high risk behaviors.