ISLAMABAD: “Today on World AIDS Day, Pakistan reaffirms its support for the provision of testing and treatment services to AIDS victims in line with our resolve to provide quality health services to all citizens equally without any discrimination or stigmatization to build a stronger society and healthier country”, President Dr Arif Alvi said in his message on the World AIDS Day on Thursday.

He said we also rededicate ourselves to further strengthen the HIV response at the national and provincial levels; support data-driven solutions; expand access to testing and treatment; ensure economic empowerment of the vulnerable section of society, and fight the stigma and discrimination attached to HIV diseases and its victims.

The message said that by joining hands together with our partners like UNAIDS, NGOs and the private sector, we will continue to explore new ways to address HIV and AIDS which is now a preventable and treatable disease with meaningful engagement with vulnerable communities. It said, we also offer our prayers to those who lost their lives to AIDS and express our solidarity and support to the bereaved family members who lost their loved ones due to this deadly disease.

The President said that on this day, we also reaffirm our support and provide assurances to the victims of AIDS that we will continue to work with all relevant stakeholders at all levels with the aim to halt new infections, treat those who are suffering from it with care and passion, without stigmatizing them, and to wipe out ADS from our country as many other countries have done successfully.

“I re-urge all stakeholders to re-iterate their resolve to defeat this disease completely and thoroughly by creating awareness and providing counselling to the vulnerable segments to prevent the disease altogether and to diagnose it at an early stage to save precious lives”, the President concluded.