Bangladesh faces AIDS boom

While AIDS contagion is dropping globally, in Bangladesh it is on the rise. This year 869 people have been diagnosed with HIV AIDS. Last year 148 died of the disease.

This was revealed during a programme on World AIDS Day, organised on Saturday by the National AIDS/STD Programme at the auditorium of the Krishibid Institution of Bangladesh (KIB) in the capital.

Speaking at the programme as chief guest, health minister Mohammad Nasim said the target that has been set to eradicate HIV/AIDSfrom the country will certainly be achieved by 2030.

He said that youth should be kept away from drugs as AIDS was spread by sharing needles by drug users.

Public awareness must be mobilised, he said, adding that an initiative had been taken to involve the home ministry and social welfare ministry to this end.

The latest scenario of HIV/AIDS in Bangladesh was presented by the line director of HIV/AIDS programme, professor Mohammad Samiul Islam.

He mentioned that till now 869 infected patients have been diagnosed since December last year and 148 had died in that time.

Physicians pointed out, the percentage of CD4 in the blood of HIV infected persons decreases.

The infected persons lose their appetite, their weight drops drastically and other physical symptoms become apparent. These are the symptoms of HIV AIDS.

It was said that the first HIV infection in Bangladesh was diagnosed in 1989. Since then, 6,455 have been identified and there have been 1022 deaths in this connection.

At present, there are around 13,000 HIV affected patients in Bangladesh, though all of them could not be identified.

UNICEF representative Edouard Beigbeder said that the government has been depending less on the donors and more on its own resources to run the HIV/AIDS control programme.

He mentioned that the rate of HIV infected is decreasing in the whole world but not in Bangladesh.

He highlighted the treatment provided to the HIV infected community.

The president of PL HIV (People Living with HIV) Network Hafizuddin said that the HIV infected people face discrimination in the society.

They should be brought within the reach of health insurance, he added.

The president of STI Network Abu Yousuf Chowdhury said that the people have to dispel the assumption that the prevalence of this infection is less in Bangladesh.

It has to be kept in mind that the prevalence is steadily increasing.

The discussion was presided over by additional general director of the health directorate professor Nasima Sultana.

Before the programme, government officials and NGO activists took out a procession in front of the National Assembly.