The District AIDS Council meeting was held on 26 June 2025 in the committee room of the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Bahawalpur. The meeting began with the recitation of the Holy Quran. Afterwards, participants introduced themselves.
The attendees included Mr. Muhammad Tayyab (ADC-G), Dr. Khalid Malik (DHO-Preventive Services), Dr. Zain Bhatti (District Coordinator Preventive Program), Mr. Muhammad Sajid Gul (Entomologist, Health Department), Dr. Muhammad Ali Arshad (Deputy Medical Superintendent, Bahawal Victoria Hospital), Dr. Shazia Malik (Assistant Medical Superintendent, Sadiq Abbasi Hospital), Mr. Abid Hussain (Inspector, DPO Office), Dr. Hamid Mehmood (Medical Officer, Central Jail), Dr. Muhammad Irfan (Medical Officer, Borstal Jail), Mr. Muhammad Shahbaz (Counsellor, ART Center), Dr. Ahmad Javeed Iqbal (Medical Officer, ART Center), Mr. Muhammad Asghar Shaheen (Assistant Director, Social Welfare Department), Mr. Kashif Khakwani (Information Officer, Public Relations Department), Ms. Fatima (Team Leader, Active Help Organization), Ms. Shazia Inayat (HCW, Active Help Organization), Ms. Mehwish Iqbal (Outreach Officer, Active Help Organization), Mr. Rab Nawaaz (ORS, 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).
The significance of the District AIDS Council (DAC) in Bahawalpur was emphasized to the attendees by Muhammad Imran, Manager District Coordination. He highlighted the main objectives for HIV/AIDS-related activities within Bahawalpur. He explained that the DAC will assist in spreading knowledge and enhancing district level collaborations to tackle HIV/AIDS treatment and services. It functions as an advisory body that leads 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 enhance the referral mechanism.
During the meeting, the Manager District Coordination provided an update on NZT progress and how each PWID (People Who Inject Drugs) has been reached in Bahawalpur and subsequently linked to the ART Centre. The meeting also included discussions on each performance indicator, including the actions carried out.
The DHO-PS also highlighted the importance of coordination and proposed involving other organizations working on HIV within this valuable forum. He further directed the DHO to hold a coordination meeting and to incorporate additional organizations to share challenges and support requirements.
Mr. Muhammad Tayyab (ADC-G) stated that the District Administration, along with the participants, greatly appreciated Nai Zindagi Trust’s efforts in addressing HIV in the district. He assured full cooperation from the district administration. The chair also requested the DHO-PS to support Nai Zindagi Trust with free baseline investigations and the provision of AMC & BMC services to clients lacking CNIC and their families.
Mr. Muhammad Imran, Manager District Coordination, and Mr. Rana Muhammad Bilal Sarwar, Site Administrator of Nai Zindagi Trust, expressed gratitude to the district administration and especially to the DHO-PS for their substantial support in implementing project activities in Bahawalpur.
DAC Meeting 26-6-2025 at Bahawalpur
