'Stop AIDS, keep the promise'

As part of this, World AIDS Day 2006 emphasises the theme of accountability.

People and organisations around the world campaigned on 1 December 2006 to promote enhanced accountability from leaders on their commitments and generate greater public awareness and engagement on the problem of AIDS worldwide.

HIV/AIDS is a burning issue for the world today. Just in the span of one decade AIDS has turned into a pandemic, affecting millions of men, women and children in all countries.

Sexual intercourse without any protection, blood transfusions, pregnancy, delivery or breastfeeding, sharing skin piercing or cutting instrument - needles, blades are the modes of transmission of HIV. In the air, HIV dies in a fraction of a second, in human blood, it can survive for 24 to 72 hours.

The HIV epidemic in Bangladesh, from an epidemiological perspective, is evolving rapidly. A low prevalence Bangladesh for overall HIV rates today doest not guarantee low prevalence tomorrow. In the absence of good quality and high coverage intervention programmes, HIV prevalence may jump to very high levels within months. Policy makers and programmers within the government of Bangladesh, bi-lateral agencies, national and international NGOs have a key role to play in recognizing the urgency of the situation and taking immediate action.

Currently there is no cure for AIDS; most victims eventually die. So, prevention is the only way to get rid of this fatal ailment. Are we doing enough to achieve that goal?