Awareness drive about Aids launched
By Hina Kiyani

ISLAMABAD—The Ministry of Labour, Manpower and Overseas Pakistanis has launched an awareness campaign on HIV/AIDS to make the labour force more vigillant about this deadly disease.
In this regard, the Directorate of Workers Education (DWE) organised a three-day master training workshop here which was participated by more or less 40 people. The participants were educated regarding the channels of HIV transmission, vulnerable conditions, diagnoses, symptoms and signs, disease control and prevention, stigma and discrimination. Senior doctors of social security institutions, trade union leaders, workers federations, employers, principals of the Technical Training Centres, truck drivers from the cities of Lahore, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Multan, D.G.Khan, Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Peshawar, Haripur, Quetta, Hub, Charsada, Chinot and Sheikhupura participated in the workshop.
Director General Pakistan Manpower Institute, Mazhar Hussainwhile addressing the concluding ceremony as the chief guest said the master trainers programme is meant to help trainers at enterprise level in implementing HIV/AIDS programme at work place. He said due to the teachings of our religion, Pakistan has low prevalence rate of HIV. Workers particularly staying outside their homes, are vulnerable to the consequences of HIV/AIDS and their illness, or death if any, due to this killing disease is a loss of skills and experience which reduces productivity and profitability of enterprises and increases labour costs. Director General DWE, Razia Zubairi said under the programme,several thousand workers have already been educated so far across the country.
Assistant Director DWE, Mohammed Akbar Rai said InternationalLabour Organization, UNAIDS, World Health Organization, National Aids Control Programme, Pakistan National AIDS Consortium, WorldPopulation Foundation assisted the directorate in this regard. According to UNAIDS, the number of people living with HIV inPakistan is reported to be 85,000. Among them 84,000 are stated to be adults between 15 and 49 years.