HIV cell being set up in Larkana division to prevent spread of disease

Following a large number of HIV cases being detected in general population in Larkana and adjoining districts, a dedicated HIV cell is being established at the district health office to launch a coordinated campaign against quacks, unlawful laboratories and blood banks, and unlicensed general practitioners involved in violating infection prevention protocols, officials said on Sunday.

“HIV spillover from key populations to general population in Larkana and adjoining areas has become a serious cause of concern for the national and international health organisations. In order to contain the outbreak, a dedicated cell is being established at the district health office Larkana to contain the spread of the infectious disease,” an official of the Sindh health department told The News.

In order to achieve the goal, Sindh Health Director General Dr Irshad Memon has directed the Larkana district health officer to coordinate with the Sindh Health Care Commission (SHCC), Sindh Blood Transfusion Authority (SBTA) and law enforcement agencies to curb the menace of quackery, unlawful laboratories and blood banks, and reuse of needles by closing down the unlicensed general practitioners’ outlets, labs and blood banks along with initiation of criminal proceedings against such culprits.

Dr Memon explained that the district health officer (DHO) would lead the cell that would implement the government directions for all the components of outbreak response.

He added that the DHO had been directed to carry out due coordination through separate focal persons on every aspect including screening, registration of positive cases and provision of treatment, health education, quackery, use of auto-lock syringes, monitoring, data generation and community engagement through local council members.

He said the World Health Organisation (WHO), Directorate General Health Services Sindh and rest of provincial tiers would extend technical and administrative support to the cell.

Officials in the health department said a similar campaign would be launched in the districts of Shikarpur, Kashmore, Jacobabad and Kambar-Shahdadkot on August 1 under the supervision of the Larkana commissioner, HIV Control Sindh program manager, health director general, deputy commissioners and district health officers.

According to the plan, the DHOs along with officials from the SHCC, district administration, health education wing and law enforcement agencies would launch a crackdown on reuse of syringes and drip sets, and auto-lock syringes would be introduced simultaneously.

Similarly, every pregnant woman would be reached for antenatal care, triple testing on HIV, hepatitis and tuberculosis and this task had been assigned to the DHOs as well as other health officials to ensure provision of safe blood transfusion in the Larkana division.