AIDS controllable, no longer horrific

Speakers at a lecture on Monday concurred that people with HIV could survive since the infectious disease is not as horrific as before.
The lecture, organized by the Ministry of Health at Kuwait Writers Association (KWA), is part of the events to mark the World AIDS Day which aims to raise awareness about HIV and show support for people living with it.
The Ministry of Health offers all possible care for the HIV patients and spares no effort in preventing its spread, said Dr. Hind Al-Shomar, chairperson of the Ministry's AIDS office and rapporteur of the national standing committee on the combat against AIDS.
"AIDS is not only a health issue but a social and humanitarian one as well. Therefore all civil society institutions should contribute to the combat against the disease," she said.
"People now look differently on HIV patients after medication for the disease became available," she said, adding that the HIV patients are now more able to integrate with the society than ever.
Dr. Al-Shomar noted the KWA headquarters was selected as venue of the launching of the campaign against AIDS due to the significance of the role of writers and intellectuals in raising the public awareness about this issue.
She added that the World Health Organization (WHO) chose "closing the gap in HIV prevention and treatment" as the theme of the World AIDS Day 2014 celebrated on December 1.
The world's first infection case with HIV was detected in 1981 while Kuwait reported the first positive case three years later, she said, adding that the prevalence rate in Kuwait is still very limited.
On the initial infection with HIV, she said a person may experience a brief period of influenza-like illness. As the infection progresses, it interferes more and more with the immune system, and the infection spread to other persons through sexual contact, blood transfusion or body fluids.
The late symptoms of the infection are referred to as AIDS. This stage is often complicated by an infection of the lung known as pneumocystis pneumonia, severe weight loss, a type of cancer known as Kaposi's sarcoma, or other AIDS-defining conditions, she added.
On the preventive measures, Dr. Al-Shomar recommended conducting pre-marital HIV tests, avoiding extramarital sexual relationships and conducting antiviral tests before blood transfusion.
"Under Act No. 63/1992, the Ministry of Health, while conducting HIV tests, keeps the privacy of a patient and could inform their husband/wive only," she made clear.
Meanwhile, Director of the Health Sciences Center of Kuwait University Prof. Wedad Al-Naqib said the center was selected by the WHO as a cooperation partner, HIV specialized center, and a regional center for the Middle East in 1982.
"The Center maintains close cooperation with international peers, thus forming an integrated network for realizing the WHO targets," said Prof. Al-Naqib who chairs the technical committee on AIDS.
He added that the Center has eminent academic cadres who develop ten scientific papers a year.
"Besides, the Center organizes annual workshops and modernizes its facilities and equipment constantly in order to keep abreast with the world's latest developments in combating the communicable diseases.
"The Center, in collaboration with the WHO, carries out a national project for conducting the premarital HIV tests and the surveillance," he said, noting that the project cost KD 125,000 over the last three years.