Migrants contribute high to rising AIDS in Bangladesh
Kamruzzaman Bablu :
The number of new cases and deaths from Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) has consistently increased in Bangladesh. Previously, new patients were more likely to be found in high-risk groups. But now, the infection is more common among general people.
According to the United Nations, HIV/AIDS organization UNAIDS estimate last year, the number of people infected with HIV in Bangladesh was 14,000. Among them, 7455 people have been identified through government-private level tests. Undiagnosed people are not receiving treatment, increasing the risk of infection.
Meanwhile, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Bangladesh has reported 8,761 patients infected with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) so far. Of them, 1,588 died, estimating 18.13 percent death rate.
However, the field of HIV infected patients has increased under the programmes taken by the government. Experts believe, 95 percent of HIV patients will come under treatment by 2030 in compliance with the tasks taken by the government.
Officials of the Department of Health’s National AIDS/STD Programme say 50 percent of HIV-infected people don’t know they have the disease. Of those who know, more than one-third does not seek treatment.
Meanwhile, HIV/AIDS is spreading in the country through immigration, says experts.
Data prepared by international organization Save the Children reported that the rate of AIDS infection in Bangladesh is increasing due to migration. The data shows that more than 30 percent of people living with HIV are immigrants or their family members.
AIDS is transmitted through various means including unsafe sex, intravenous drug use using the same needle, but transmission through immigration has become a cause of renewed concern.
Officials of the organization say that AIDS is spreading in Bangladesh through people who go in search of work in different countries of the world. In this context, they advised to reduce the risk of AIDS in the country as well as ensure treatment by increasing international and public-private funding.
It has been found that 23 districts of the country are mostly at risk of this deadly disease with Dhaka, Sylhet and Chittagong topping the list. The other districts are: Dinajpur, Cumilla, Jashore, Moulvibazar, Cox’s Bazar, Khulna, Narayanganj, Bagerhat, Sirajganj, Pabna, Chandpur, Satkhira, Munshiganj, Gazipur, Patuakhali, Kishoreganj, Bogra, Rajshahi, Barisal and Mymensingh.
Meanwhile, health experts suggest the government to take more initiatives and plans to combat the deadly virus. They feel need to increase identification test and coverage to detect the people who bear the virus. Particularly, more attention needs to be paid to Rohingya people, migrants, people who have been pushed back and AIDS-prone areas. They also opined to bring everyone under the HIV test in border areas as like the coronavirus.
“The number of HIV cases was found to be high in the districts with migrant population. So we should focus on the homebound migrants of that district strongly to protect the whole community” Professor Dr. Shamiul Islam, Program Line Director of AIDS/STD told The New Nation.
According to UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, Bangladesh has so far registered more than 14,000 AIDS infected patients which is 0.1 percent of the total population. However, only 8,000 patients are currently under the treatment.
Till November 30, 2021, Bangladesh logged a total of 1,588 people who died of AIDS. Since then, no record has been found in this connection.
After monitoring the statistics recorded by the DGHS, the number of AIDS infected people is increasing in the country day by day. Most of the newly HIV infected people are from expatriates or members of their families. Infections among general population increased over the past year, although new cases had been found in four type of population earlier.
