Experts for creating awareness to prevent AIDS

1216

RANGPUR, Oct 31, 2018 (BSS) – Experts here have stressed on creating
awareness among the vulnerable group of people by disseminating education,
knowledge and social values to prevent spread of HIV/AIDS.

Rangpur Drop-in-Centre (DIC) of Light House Consortium under management
of International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B)
organised programme at Civil Surgeon conference room on Tuesday.

The meeting was arranged under Prioritized HIV Prevention Services for
Key Population in Bangladesh with assistance of the Global Fund Project to
bring vulnerable group population under medicare facilities for preventing
spread of these diseases.

Public representatives, transgender people, teachers, lawyers, police,
religious leaders, civil society members and local elite participated in the
programme.

Deputy Commissioner Enamul Habib attended the meeting as the chief guest
with Civil Surgeon Dr Abu Md Zakirul Islam in the chair. Deputy Director of
the Department of Social Services Abdur Razzaque and Deputy Civil Surgeon Dr
Kaniz Sabiha addressed as special guests.

Rangpur DIC Manager of ‘Light House’ Mohammad Shahabul Islam delivered
keynote presentation narrating activities of the organisation and latest
national level statistics of HIV/AIDS infection and related deaths.

“A total of 5,586 people were infected with HIV viruses and 924 with
AIDS in Bangladesh till 2017. Of them, 125 AIDS patients died in 2017 alone,”
Shahabul said.

Lawyer Advocate Isahaque Ali, representative of transgender community
Marufa Akhter Mitu, journalist Nazrul Islam Raju, City Councilor Muntaseer
Shamim Laiku, Imam Md Zinnuraine, Purohit Girija Sankar Chakraborty, NGO
executive Sarothi Rani Saha, among others addressed.

Sarothi Rani Saha said if the vulnerable groups continue their unsafe
sexual habit and blood donation, possibility of spreading the HIV/AIDS and
other Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) may increase.

Dr Zakirul Islam urged public representatives and community leaders for
conducting awareness building campaign among vulnerable groups and floating
sex workers in both urban and rural areas.