The 2nd District AIDS Council meeting took place on 24 June 2025 in the committee room of the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Lodhran. The meeting commenced with the recitation of the Holy Quran. Afterwards, participants introduced themselves.
Attendees included Ms. Irum Shehzadi (AC-Lodhran), Dr. Farhan Saeed (CEO-Health), Mr. Nouman Masood Khan (Deputy Director of Information), Ms. Nazia Sharif (Deputy Director of Social Welfare), Mr. Muhammad Raees Ali (SHO, Lodhran City), Mr. Ali Arslan (Admin & Accounts Assistant, Nai Zindagi Trust), Mr. Zahid Manzoor and Mr. Liaquat Hussain (DEOs, Nai Zindagi Trust), Mr. Muhammad Imran (Manager, District Coordination, Nai Zindagi PR Office, Islamabad), and Rana Muhammad Bilal Sarwar (Site Administrator, Nai Zindagi Trust, Bahawalpur).
Muhammad Imran, Manager District Coordination, highlighted the importance of the District AIDS Council (DAC) in Bahawalpur to the attendees.The main objectives of the DAC are to inform all stakeholders about HIV/AIDS-related activities related to PWID in Lodhran. He explained that the DAC would help spread awareness and foster district level collaboration to improve HIV/AIDS treatment and services. It functions as an advisory body that guides and shares lessons learned to improve service delivery at the district level. Additionally, it aims to bridge existing gaps, address field challenges, and coordinate efforts to strengthen the referral mechanism. During the meeting, the Manager District Coordination provided an update on the progress of Nai Zindagi Trust and how each PWID (People Who Inject Drugs) has been reached in Lodhran and subsequently linked to the ART Centre. The session also involved discussions on various performance indicators and related actions.
The CEO of Health described this forum as a good platform to share activities aimed at halting HIV in Lodhran. He further stated that Nai Zindagi Trust would receive support whenever needed. The District Health Authority would also assist Nai Zindagi Trust with baseline investigations and the provision of Basic Medical Care and Advanced Medical Care services for clients and their spouses.
Ms. Irum Shehzadi (AC-Lodhran) stated that the District Administration, along with the participants, greatly appreciated Nai Zindagi Trust’s efforts in tackling HIV in the district. He assured full cooperation from the district administration. The chair also urged the CEO of Health to support Nai Zindagi Trust by providing free baseline investigations and offering AMC & BMC services to clients lacking CNIC and their families. He further requested that Nai Zindagi Trust share lists of clients and hotspots with the district authorities. The chair also proposed that the DAC meeting be held monthly to share progress in real time.
Mr. Muhammad Imran, Manager District Coordination, and Mr. Rana Muhammad Bilal Sarwar, Site Administrator of Nai Zindagi Trust, expressed gratitude to all participants.
DAC Meeting 24-6-2025 at Lodhran
