MASHHAD, Khorasan Province A member of the Health Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly Sunday called for drawing up of plans to offer general education in an effort to launch a nationwide campaign against AIDS.

Dr. Fatemeh Khatami told IRNA here Sunday that AIDS should be considered as an important and priority issue and education programs should be formulated on prevention of the disease.

She said AIDS is among contagious killer diseases with no effective means worked out for its treatment yet.

Dr. Khatami, a Majlis deputy from Mashhad, said that given the fact that Iran is a developing country where mechanisms for treatment cannot naturally match with those in the developing world, therefore, double attention should be paid to the issue of prevention.

She said intravenous drug addicts make the largest number of aids victims in Iran, adding that it would be better to provide them with syringes in order to prevent spread of the disease in the society.

She said as the majority of aids victims in Iran are among prisoners, therefore, prisons should be equipped with the required means to prevent spread of the disease such as separating HIV positives from others.

Dr. Khatami also warned against transfer of disease through blood transfusion and said although there is a low risk in this respect, however, the medical community should receive the required training to refrain from prescribing blood products if not urgently needed.

She also underlined the need for offering the necessary sexual education in the society and said that so far sexual education has not been offered due to restrictions imposed verbally and in writing.

As for the medical examination of foreigners coming to the country, Dr. Khatami said no medical test is made on those coming into the country, either Iranians or foreigners, against carrying HIV.

(IRNA)