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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Sharaf Ali Shah1, Latif Niazi1, Ashraf Memon1, and Omar A. Khan2. (1) Services Hospital, Indoor Block, Sindh AIDS Control Program, Pakistan, MA Jinnah Road, Karachi, Pakistan, 802-849-2156, sharafshah@cyber.net.pk, (2) Johns Hopkins University, School of Public Health / The Naz Foundation USA, c/o 50 Meade Road, Fairfax, VT 05454
This study describes the epidemiological trends for HIV/AIDS in Pakistan over the last decade. The presence of risk factors such as unprotected sexual intercourse, lack of universal blood screening, and low awareness are combined with known high-risk groups such as long-distance truck drivers, commercial sex involving females as well as males having sex with males (MSM). The poster describes the progression in HIV/AIDS statistics over time, analyses them with regards to risk groups, and provides details of programmatic interventions that have been carried out to date. We also review our recent work on STDs and provide accompanying analysis of STD rates along with HIV.
With the increase in the severity of the epidemic in South Asia, it is more urgent than ever to develop effective means for addressing HIV/AIDS, which in a resource-poor setting primarily involves prevention. We discuss methods of doing so involving traditional healers, training health care providers, and vigorous surveillance at the provincial level.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: HIV/AIDS, Pakistan
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.