Intravenous drug users most vulnerable to AIDS

The three-day workshop on 'Advocacy on United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) Declaration and Commitment' was organised by STI/AIDS Network, Bangladesh, at BIAM auditorium in the city.

Major General Dr ASM Motiur Rahman, chairman of Technical Committee of the National AIDS Committee, Bai Bagasao of UNAIDS Bangladesh and Dr Tasnim Azim of International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease and Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B) spoke at the workshop. Dr Tasnim Azim said the rate of HIV/AIDS remains less than one per cent among the other vulnerable groups of commercial sex workers, homosexuals, hijras (eunuchs), truckers, rickshawpullers, and heroin smokers.

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The country has a large number of high risk behaviour groups and it is being considered as the most risk zone in South Asia after India, Dr Tasnim Azim added.

Dr ASM Motiur Rahman said India that shares around 4,000 km borders with Bangladesh has recorded around 40 lakh HIV positive cases.

He said high prevalence of HIV/AIDS in neighbouring India and Mayanmar, movement of population, low condom use and presence of sexually transmitted diseases (STD) are the major risk factors in Bangladesh.

Dr ASM Motiur Rahman said the groups, having sex with commercial sex workers including the hijras without condom, are significantly contributing to the spread of HIV/AIDS.

He said by establishing 98 blood transfusion centres across the country with the help of UNDP, the government has reduced the number of professional blood donors.

Bai Bagasao said the United Nations at its special general assembly in 2001 set 10 agenda to fight HIV/AIDS.

She sought more participation of NGOs and members of the civil society to raise voice for solving the global problem.

Officially 248 HIV/AIDS cases have been recorded in the country, but the UNAIDS and the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated the number at over 13,000.