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Tie HIV programmes to health services

Suggest discussants at the daily Star-UNFPA roundtable to combat AIDS effectively

Staff Correspondent
Speakers at a roundtable yesterday called for stronger linkage between sexual and reproductive health services and HIV programmes in the country to contain HIV and enhance the range of treatment, care and support.
They said the significant cause of HIV infection is directly related to risky sexual behaviours, pregnancy, childbirth and lack of information.
Considering limited resources in the country, planning, integration of existing settings and interventions with a common approach can meet broader health and social needs of people instead of providing services separately, the speakers pointed out.
The roundtable on 'Linkage of Sexual and Reproductive Health in Prevention of HIV in Bangladesh' was jointly organised by The Daily Star and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) at The Daily Star conference room in the capital.
Khandaker Ezazul Haque, HIV officer of UNFPA, presented the keynote paper.
He explained that lack of linkage means low coverage of services, poor access to information and commodity, higher rate of unsafe sexual and risk taking behaviours, frequent sexually transmitted infection and poor uptake of voluntary' counselling and screening centres.
He pointed out that existing social stigma about HIV, lack of male partner participation, lack of information pose major challenges in addressing HFV related issues.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, AIDS has claimed more than 28 million lives worldwide. Around 42 million are now living with HIV and AIDS. In 2008, about 2.5 million new HIV infected were detected while 2.1 million died of it the same year.
The first HIV case in Bangladesh was detected in 1989. Since then, about 1,495 cases were detected among which 476 people developed AIDS. So far the deadly syndrome claimed about 165 lives in the country.
Although the number is still low. Bangladesh must not wail until it becomes prevalent in the country, the speakers emphasised.
Ihe speakers also pointed out that die youth are the most vulnerable. Lack of information or misinformation increases their vulnerability. Topics on 111V and related issues should be incorporated in the nca- demic curricula, they added.
Salil Panakadan, country coordinator of UNAIDS, pointed out that in the policy level linkage between sexual and reproductive health services and HIV programmes are gradually becoming a necessity in addressing HIV. However, integration in terms of services is posinga bigchallenge.
Arthur Erken, UNFPA Representative to Bangladesh, summarised the roundtable and said the Voluntary Counselling and Testing Centres (VCT) should play a vital role in containing HIV instead of just screening for the virus.
He also placed emphasis on a comprehensive national strategic plan that should be formulated by the National AIDS and STD Programme (NASP). Long-term goals should be determined for education system and in addressing risky male sexual behaviour, he said.
He added that the government should think about the sexual behaviour of the youth and incorporate the topic in forma) education, as ignorance makes them most vulnerable.
The Daily Star Editor Mahfuz Anom said one of the basic problems is that we suffer from an idea that we are lucky since the rate of HIV infection in Bangladesh is still low.
HIX' related issues require dealing with a very private human behaviour, which is not discussed in public in Bangladesh. This poses a difficulty but we have to understand that HIV is as serious as life and death, he added.
Shale Ahmed of Bandhu Social Welfare Society stressed inter-ministerial coordination among different ministries concerned, including health, education and home affairs, to prevent HIV.
Tanvir Hasan of Brae University urged to stop discriminatory behaviour with the people living with HIV (PLHIV). He referred to a survey, which stated that even the health service providers treat PLHIVbadly.
Shamsul Haque Gazi, deputy programme manager, NASP. DGHS, Bridget Job Johnson. HIX’ specialist for Unicef. Farhana Haque, lecturer of Public Health, Independent University, Samir K 11 o w I a d e r, national programme officer, International Organisation for Migration, Kalpana Rani, project coordinator. Care Bangladesh, spoke at the roundtable among others.