It is welcome news that the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is to introduce a free health service for HIV/AIDS patients at the five medical college-hospitals in Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, Sylhet and Rajshahi.
This increase in the level of free services should provide more HIV-positive patients with access to the advances in care and antiretroviral treatments which are now available to improve their quality of life.
Although the overall prevalence of HIV is thought to be relatively low in the country there is no room for complacency. Ignorance and social stigma means that the level of the disease may still be underreported and at risk groups in particular, such as young people and intravenous drug users may not be taking advantage of basic precautions like condoms and clean needles.
The 25th World AIDS Day on December 1 should be used as an opportunity to further improve public health education to move towards its stated goal of ‘’Getting to Zero.’’
Much can be achieved through the types of awareness raising initiatives being supported by The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, in order to eliminate the ignorance and risks that spread the disease.
Advocacy and awareness raising amongst parents, policy makers and religious leaders is as an important part of this programme as the targeting of information and services towards vulnerable at-risk groups. It is essential to continue working with this type of co-ordinated approach to ensure that the spread of AIDS is reduced and patients are treated better.
