Punjab Aids Control Program

Program Introduction: 

 

The main goal of the Punjab AIDS Control Program is to prevent and halt/contain new HIV infections and improve the health and quality of life of people living with HIV/AIDS in Punjab. 

The Program’s larger goal is to keep the HIV/AIDS epidemic at the current low level (below 0.1%) among general adult population. The prime focus of the Program is on HIV prevention among key population namely Injecting Drug Users (IDUs), Female Sex Workers (FSWs), Male / Transgender Sex Workers (MSWs / TRSWs) and Men having Sex with Men (MSMs) and its spill over in general population. The Program provides free testing, treatment and counseling services to HIV/AIDs patients and high risk groups. 

 

The main objectives of the Program are to

1. Control or reverse the spread of HIV among the high risk and vulnerable groups and to keep the epidemic from establishing among the bridging groups and the general population
2. Create awareness in general public / high risk groups about modes of HIV/AIDS. Transmission and advocate the policy/ decision makers and opinion leaders, about the threat of HIV/AIDS to garner enhanced support and commitment to assign it a priority area.
3. Establish an effective, functional, comprehensive and sustainable multi-sectoral mechanism to response HIV/AIDS with the involvement of stakeholders from government departments, development partners, NGOs, CBOs, civil society, religious leaders, PLHIV etc.
4. Provide free of cost diagnostic, and treatment services to high risk groups and poor patients by providing state of the art diagnostic referral and district services laboratory services   along with required  amount of medicine for HIV patients.
5. Design and develop integration mechanism among the communicable disease control programs (TB, Hepatitis, etc.) for avoiding duplication of inputs such as diagnostic services.
6. Create an enabling environment so that People Living with HIV can access medical and social services without stigma or discrimination.
7. Build the capacity of PACP and health professionals for in public and private sector 

Summary of Program Initiatives: 

The PACP started multiple initiatives to reach out to High Risk Groups that are: 

1. The Program sets up camps at strategic sites and tests bus and truck drivers for Hep B, Hep C, Syphilis and HIV/AIDS  with free vaccination for Hep B and free treatment for Hep C 
2. The Program screens Jail inmates in Punjab continuously. The Program is also providing treatment to those testing positive for Hep C and HIV. The Program has provided mass vaccination for Hep B  
3. Punjab’s first ever BSL-3 Lab was established at PACP Complex. The state-of-the-art BSL-3 Level Advanced Diagnostics Laboratory provides complete package of services and is equipped with latest flowcytometry machine, gene expert, CD4 Count machine and has the capacity to perform viral genotyping or HIV Resistance testing for initiating or switching ART. 
4. The Program tests Transgenders, 300 Female Sex Workers/family members and is providing free treatment services to Injecting Drug Users 
5. The PACP has started Pakistan’s first ever exclusive trans genders clinic was at Fountain House 

1. The Program made coordinated efforts for introduction of Infection Control measures in Punjab. Coordinated efforts were made to introduce Hospital Waste Management protocols as per international standards 

1. The PACP initiated crackdown against quackery in areas having HIV outbreaks in Chiniot and Sargodha in 2018. A province-wise massive operation against quackery was initiated and efforts were made to stop the re-use of syringes. 

 

 

 

Programme’s Stipulated Outcomes: 

1. HIV prevalence is reduced among Key Affected Populations and is maintained at less than 0.1% in the General Population
2. Mapping of Key Population all over Punjab is completed and risk containment is done at that level.
3. Research base is created regarding sociology ,epidemiology, genetics, molecular biology, treatment and drug resistance patterns of HIV infection
4. HIV-related morbidity and mortality is reduced, and the quality of life of People Living with HIV is improved.
5. Prevention rate is increased in youth through involvement of educational institutes
6. Policy environment and AIDS response are enhanced for prevention, treatment, care and support

 

PACP Program Components 

PACP Organogram

PACP Monitoring Mechanism:

1: The MIS is Real Time based, every patient is monitored live at ART and VCCT Centers

2: Physical Monitoring: A list of indicators have been developed against which every center is monitored through physical visits 

3: Random checks: The Program makes random phone calls to patients and gets feedback from them 

History:

The Punjab AIDS Control Program (PACP) was established in 1998 to reverse the spread of HIV among the most at risk groups and to keep the epidemic from establishing among the bridging groups and the general population by following the international guidelines of UNAIDS, WHO and UNICEF. The program is operating under the umbrella of the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department, Government of the Punjab.

 

Vision:

Achieve the global UNAIDS HIV goals of 90-90-90. This means that 90% of people living with HIV know their status; of whom 90% are on treatment; of whom 90% are virally suppressed (90-90-90).

 

Objectives:

1. Provide information people on the modes of transmission of HIV and ways of preventing transmissions.
2. Provide information of myths related to HIV and educate on stigmas related to HIV.
3. Create a conducive environment for HIV testing through pre- and post-test counselling.
4. Ensure life-long free treatment and confidentiality of HIV patients.

 

Working Mechanism:

Services:

Punjab AIDS Control Program is providing the following services. All of these services are provided FREE of COST.

1. Voluntary Confidential Counselling and Testing (VCCT)
2. Rapid Screening of HIV/AIDS and Syphilis (in accordance with WHO guidelines)
3. Treatment and Medication
4. Prevention of Parent To Child Transmissions (PPTCT)
5. Pediatric HIV Treatment
6. Advance Diagnostic Tests: PCR, CD4 and Eliza
7. Follow Up

 

Centers:

Currently the program is providing free of cost diagnostic and treatment services through its following centers: 

Centers are open Monday to Saturday, 8am till 2pm.

List of Centers:

District	Address
Bahawalnagar	DHQ Hospital
Chiniot	New OPD Block, DHQ Hospital
Dera Ghazi Khan	Medical Unit DHQ Hospital
	Yousaf Medical Ward, First Floor, DHQ Hospital
Faisalabad	OPD Room No.41, Allied Hospital
Gujrat	Emergency Ward, 1st Floor, Aziz Bhatti Shaheed Hospital
	Ground Floor, Emergency Ward, DHQ Hospital
	Civil Hospital, Kunjah
	Bashiran Memorial Welfare Hospital, Jalalpur Jattan
Jhelum	DHQ Hospital
Lahore	Gynae Unit 3, Services Hospital
	Room No.21 Mayo Hospital
	OPD Room No.34, Jinnah Hospital
	Room No.14, Said Mitha Hospital
	Khawaja Sira Clinic, Fountain House
	Trauma Center, DHQ Hospital
Mianwali	OPD Room No.26, Govt Shahbaz Sharif Sub Campus, Civil Hospital
Multan	DHQ Hospital
Muzaffargarh	THQ Hospital, Tehsil Shahkot
Nankana Sahib	DHQ Hospital
Okara	Near Operation Theatre, Phase-2, Sheikh Zaid Hospital
Rahim Yar Khan	Opp. Main OPD, Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Hospital
Rawalpindi	Ward No.10, Teaching Hospital Sargodha
Sargodha	Room No 33, THQ Hospital, Tehsil Kot Momin
	Trauma Center First Floor, DHQ Hospital
Sheikhupura	DHQ Hospital, Sheikhupura

Achievements:

1. State of the art Bio-Safety Level 3 laboratory
2. 25 HIV treatment centers in 16 districts of Punjab
3. 36 Satellite treatment centers in all prisons of Punjab
4. Biometric Registration of all patients for seamless service delivery
5. Lost to Follow-up mechanism that ensures no patient is left untreated
6. Free provision of Opportunistic infection medication to HIV patients
7. Provision of rashan packages to people living with HIV with collaboration of APLHIV

 

Yet to Come:

1. Expansion of centers to all 36 districts of Punjab in process
2. Monetary support to HIV patients who show treatment adherence with the support of Punjab Social Welfare Protection Authority

 

Total Number of Patients Treated:

 

 

 

Registered Patients:

Category	Registered
Female Sex Workers	30584
Transgender/Male Sex Worker	52197
Jail Inmates	124412
Injecting Drug Users	48394
Truck & Bus Drivers	53516
TB Patients	464206
General Population	1077057

 

 

IEC Material:

Contact Us:

1.      
2. Head Office: Punjab AIDS Control Program, PACP Complex, 6-Birdwood Road, Lahore.
3. Office Phone: 042-99201092 & 93

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