ISLAMABAD: It was in 2010 when Skakeel Ahmed learnt at a medical camp that he was suffering from the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Later, he was shifted to a rehabilitation centre established by an NGO where he got awareness of the disease and its treatment.

Today, the 29-year-old is not only getting proper treatment but also helping the NGO in counselling other HIV patients.

Talking to Dawn, Ahmed, a resident of Rahim Yar Khan, said he had three brothers and three sisters.

“I started smoking cigarettes and became an addict of drugs, including heroin. Later, I also used to inject drugs into my body. In 2010, I left my native village and came to Lahore where I learnt that I was afflicted with HIV.” He said after getting 15-day treatment and awareness, he returned to his native village. “However, in 2014 the NGO again called me for a counselling session in Islamabad. I spent two months at the centre and quit drugs.”

Ahmed said he was also trained to take interest in working. After completion of the two-month course, Ahmed decided to work for the NGO and is now counselling the drug addicts. “I can convince them easily because I have gone through the stages which they are in now.” He said he was also getting Rs15,000 salary and free food and residence at the centre.

Besides Ahmed, there are 85 other patients getting counselling at the centre set up by the NGO, Nai Zindagi Trust, in Bhara Kahu.

Programme manager of the NGO, Salman Qureshi, told Dawn that the Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) project was started in January 2014 and since then 708 HIV patients had received awareness and training.

ART is a lifelong treatment and the intake of the prescribed medicines by the patients on a daily basis is essential to maintain the immune system and minimise serious health consequences that are likely to be caused by HIV and Aids, he added.

“We keep the HIV patients in the centre for two months. As most of the patients are drug addicts, we initially help them to get rid of the addiction and then bring them back to a normal life,” he said.

“We also help them use medicine which is available free of cost from government centres throughout to decrease the effects of HIV/Aids. After that they can leave the centre but some of the people live with us to help us in the cause,” he said.

In reply to a question, Mr Qureshi said there were about 80,000 people afflicted with HIV in Pakistan but only 11,000 of them were registered and around 5,000 had been getting treatment from different government centres.

At a workshop held at the centre, UNAids in Pakistan country director Marc Saba said planning for the treatment of HIV/Aids at the divisional level was underway. He urged the patients not to use drugs again. The patients must also inform other people about the consequences of the disease and its treatment, he added.

Regional adviser to the UN Office on Drugs (UNODC) Anne Bergens said it was an opportunity for her to have a detailed interaction with the drug-addicted people in different parts of the country.

Published in Dawn, June 7th, 2015

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