LAHORE (PR) - Experts and managers at a seminar organised by the Punjab AIDS Control Program at a hotel Saturday pledged to end stigma and discrimination towards HIV/AIDS patients, a press release said. Primary and Secondary Healthcare Secretary M Usman chaired the seminar while Director General Health Services Punjab Dr Haroon Jehangir, additional secretaries and medical superintendents were among the attendees. Special guests included UNAIDS country chief Marilyn Borromeo, Unicef and WHO representatives. In his address, Usman said the programme is scaling up its services from 16 districts to all 36 districts this year. “The PACP currently has presence in 16 high prevalence districts. As we have patients coming from all across Punjab, we are expanding our services and setting up centers all across Punjab. Unsafe blood transfusion, reuse of syringes as well as other instruments remain main causes of transmission. We are intensifying the registration campaign of barbers and hair dressers in Punjab. The campaign against quacks is already being paced up.” Punjab AIDS Control Program Director Dr Munir Ahmed Malik listed endeavours to fight off stigma and discrimination towards patients. “Our goal is to create an environment where HIV/AIDS patients face no discrimination anywhere. With the use of effective medicines patients can lead normal lives. Reducing the viral load to undetectable levels can almost completely reduce the risk of transmission.