PESHAWAR    -   Participants of a Provincial AIDs Network meeting laid stress on effective advocacy and sensitisation of transgender community about access to health care initiatives taken by the government with support from international organizations for the treatment of deadly AIDs disease.

The meeting was organised by Da Hawa Lur (Daughter of Eve), a non-governmental organisation, and was attended by people from concerned departments working over prevention, control and treatment of HIV AIDs.

Welcoming the participants, CEO Da Hawa Lur, Khurshid Bano said the purpose of arranging this get together is to hold consultation and find out gaps in health related interventions as what progress is needed to cope with the threat of AIDs infection to different segments.

Sharing a recap of activities being taken in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the last several years, Rasheed Khan of Provincial AIDs Control Programme informed that starting from two AIDs treatment centers in Peshawar, the province has now established around 13 centers including three in merged districts including North Waziristan, Bajaur and Kurram.

To remove the stigma associated with AIDs, the treatment centres have been named as `Family Care Centers’ for the ease of patients coming for treatment, Rasheed added.

He informed participants that around 7941 AIDs patients are registered with AIDS Control Programme and around 6500 are getting treatment free of cost.

Giving a break-up of total figure, he said out of 7941 patients, 5571 are male, 1824 are female, 141 are transgender, 241 are boys and 164 are girls.

Two Community Based Organisations (CBOs) including a UNDP supported and Active Health Organization are also working on treatment of AIDs infected transgender and has succeeded in convincing large number of community members in getting their bloods samples for screening.

A total of 4000 transgender were tested and out of them around 141 are found infected with AIDs and are provided treatment through Provincial AIDs Control Programme, Rasheed continued.

The AIDs Control Programme also have a component of `Lost to Follow up’ under which those patients who stopped availing cure services are traced and contacted to find out reason behind the gap, Rahseed continued.

President KP Chapter TransAction, Farzana Riaz underscored need for awareness of trans persons about health issues.

She said due to stigma attached with AIDs, transgender avoid diagnosis testing on basis of symptoms and when their condition deteriorates they approach medical practitioners. Aehzaz ud Din of Dost Welfare Organisation calls for increasing caring support to transgender for their protection from HIV and drugs.

He suggested for involvement of transgender in activities aimed at welfare of their own community. Through involving a community member, the outreach will be easy and effective, Aehzaz opined.

Aehzaz also made a recommendation of offering some financial incentive for attracting transgender towards availing free services for prevention and treatment of AIDs disease.

Former member KP Assembly, Sumera Shams insisted on screening of transgender and migrant community at airport for detection of actual figures of AIDs infection and for adopting effective prevention measures.

She also stressed for compilation of proper data on AIDs spread on basis of which government policies are chalked out and funding are availed from donors.

Sumera said AID spread through different sources and one of them is beauty salons including hair transplants. She said government should chalk out a policy of monitoring the cleanliness standards and safety protocols being implemented at beauty salons which is showing mushroom growth in the country and posing threats to spread of different disease by using instruments without proper sterilisation.

Coordinator National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) KP, Rizwanullah Shah observed that transgender are integral part of society and deserves proper and equal treatment in every sector including health, education, social welfare, relief, rehabilitation etc.

He said protection of this segment from different vulnerabilities can be achieved through its involvement in relevant activities without giving any consideration to their educational qualification and competence.