LARKANA: As many as 47 new adult HIV positive cases have emerged in Larkana district in nine months between end of March to end of November 2021.
This was reported in a detailed statistical data received by this scribe on Tuesday on World AIDS Day, being observed globally on Wednesday (tomorrow). These statistics are maintained at HIV/AIDS (Adult) Treatment Centre working since 2007 at the Chandka Medical College Hospital, Larkana.
According to the data there were a total 3343 registered HIV positive adult cases since 2007 upto March 2021 out of which 733 have been transferred to all over the country to their nearby Centres and only 2610 adult patients are still registered with the Larkana Centre out of which 2308 are on HAART and 302 have either absconded from the treatment or have died.
Larkana district continues to top the list of HIV positive cases as there were 1393 registered cases of Larkana which has now reached to 1440 which means 47 new cases have been added to the list.
Out of 2308 cases, as many as 1669 are males, 603 females, 35 transgenders and a male child. Out of 2308 people, 527 belong to Kambar-Shahdadkot district, 232 Shikarpur, 264 Khairpur Mirs, 122 Jaboabad, 63 Kandhkot @ Kashmore, 355 Dadu, 104 Naushehro Feroze, 99 to Sukkur district and 18 cases belong to Balochistan.
455 among them are suffering from co-infections such as Hepatitis B, C and TTP and 86 among them are females. 1840 positive cases are between the age group of 16-30 years, 992 are between 31-40 years, 351 are between 41-50 years, 116 between 51-60 years, 40 are between 61-70 and four people are between the age group of 70-80 years.
Dr. Imran Akbar Arbani said that the prevailing situation is very alarming for which experts need to do something to stop the spread of this deadly virus which is constantly hitting hard. He said massive awareness is must but practically concrete actions should be taken.
He said auto-lock syringes should be used everywhere in public and private hospitals and clinics and usage of other disposable syringes should be made a criminal act for which the Sindh Health Care Commission may be entrusted the task to enforce the law and check. He said quack clinics should also be sealed forthwith across Sindh. He said rehabilitation of the affected people should also be arranged along with other essential things.
