LAHORE - Punjab Aids Control Program, Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department in collaboration with National College of Arts (NCA) organised a poster competition at Zahoorul Akhlaaq Art Gallery yesterday.
The contest is aimed to create awareness among students on how to combat and control the AIDS/HIV the disease which has been prevailing in the society due to multiple factors.
There are 94,000 individuals living in Pakistan with HIV. Pakistan’s epidemic is primarily concentrated among people who are involved in intravenous drug use and transgender sex trade and prostitution.
According to an estimate, 14,000 HIV carriers have been registered so far.
Students of Visual Communication and Design Department took part in the competition and exhibited 41 posters. PACP Deputy Director Project Faisal Majeed along with NCA Principal Dr Murtaza Jaffri inaugurated the project.
Dr Murtaza Jaffri said that NCA students has been playing leading role in the combating the social evils by awaring other about such diseases. On the occasion, he appreciated the efforts being done by the Visual Communication and Design student to exhibit their creative ideas how to combat these diseases.
Assistant Professor at NCA, Fakharullah Tahir told The Nation that the art institutions were now leading the movement to confront the social evils and it was now the precedent of NCA students that issues which needed to be combat at all level by the society playing frontline roles by participating in such exhibitions.
“Few days ago we conducted an exhibition in collaboration with Ansaar Barni Life Trust on illegal human trafficking which is also an important issue,” Tahir said.
“This shows that art students are now participating in the issues resolving and they are playing their parts even if the role are quite smaller.”.
On the occasion, prizes were distributed among the top three winners who bagged Rs30,000, 20,000 and 10,000 cash prices respectively. Other participants were given Rs2,500 for their appreciation.
Punjab Aids Control Program previously arranged Street Theatre Campaign to annihilate the stigma against HIV/AIDS as the PACP trying to create maximum awareness and reach out to masses via different mediums. The first theatre was arranged in Gawalmandi area.
The exhibition will conclude on May 20.
