Thirty per cent of drug addicts using injections contract HIV/AIDS, along with 7.5 per cent of male sex workers, and 3 per cent of transgender sex workers in Pakistan. This was revealed by Dr Arshad Altaf, Senior Provincial Surveillance Support Officer, Canada-Pakistan, HIV/AIDS Surveillance Project, Sindh AIDS Control Programme, at an international symposium on tropical diseases, held at Aga Khan University (AKU) as part of the centenary celebration of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene and the twenty fifth anniversary of the University.
“In the mid ‘90s, the majority of reported cases of HIV/AIDS were Pakistani labourers deported from the Gulf countries,” said Dr Altaf, discussing the technical and social problems faced in addressing the rapid spread of HIV/AIDS. “Unless concerted efforts are planned, the epidemic will continue to surge and may even reach the general population not in the distant, but near future.”
One of the reasons for the spread of HIV/AIDS and other diseases in tropical countries like Pakistan is the population increase in mega cities like Karachi. Mr Arif Hasan, Consultant Architect and Planner, and Chairman, Urban Resource Centre, Karachi, said that the population of Karachi has increased at a rate with which planning has not kept pace. “Lack of resources and education, and disregard for social and environmental conditions in poor settlements, has led to the ‘ghettoisation' of the city, which harms mental and physical health and aggravates the spread of diseases.”
The symposium also focused on tuberculosis (TB) in Pakistan. Dr Rumina Hasan, Professor and Chair, Department of Pathology and Microbiology, AKU, said that, “Five per cent of TB strains in Karachi are resistant to drugs commonly used for treatment.” She also highlighted the need for strengthening the human capacity and equipment of diagnostic facilities in the country. Dr Afia Zafar, Associate Professor and Section Head of Clinical Microbiology, AKU, and a leading infection control expert in Pakistan, said, “Simple steps for infection control, such as covering your mouth while coughing or sneezing, and washing your hands frequently, will greatly reduce the spread of multidrug-resistant TB in the country.” Dr Hazel M Dockrell, Deputy Director (Research) and Professor of Immunology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine talked about the development of new drugs and vaccines to fight TB. She said there is more need for research to find vaccines against multi drug resistant TB.
Speakers also discussed the importance of vaccine development for the prevention of other infectious diseases in Pakistan. Dr Anita Zaidi, Professor, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, AKU, talked about the recently introduced Hib vaccine in Pakistan, which will help prevent fatal pneumonia and meningitis among children. She also said that a virus called, Rotavirus, is an important cause of diarrhoeal diseases in Pakistan and emphasised the need for producing a vaccine against it.
Speaking about the hepatitis virus, Dr Saeed Hamid, Chair and Professor, Department of Medicine, AKU, said “The hepatitis C virus is now the most common cause of chronic liver disease and cancer globally.” He also said that the hepatitis E virus can seriously harm and even kill an unborn child, or be fatal for pregnant women. “The exact reason why this infection becomes so severe during pregnancy is unknown. However, an effective vaccine against this virus has been developed and women of childbearing age would be a prime group for this vaccine. Until these are widely distributed, however, pregnant women should use sensible precautions such as consuming hygienic food and boiled water.”
The International Symposium on Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Global Perspectives: Local Solutions, in collaboration with the Infectious Diseases Society of Pakistan, continues on Wednesday, November 12, 2008 and Thursday, November 13, 2008. The symposium brings a host of international speakers who will talk about issues related to tropical hygiene, including TB, malaria, dengue, HIV, hepatitis, antimicrobial resistance, pneumonia, meningitis, hospital infection control and paediatric infections in Pakistan. Issues related to health challenges in mega cities and the role of women in medicine will also be discussed.
