The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Despite a still low HIV prevalence, various risk factors, including low level of knowledge and low condom use, are posing increasing threat of HIV/AIDS in the country for lack of proper communication strategy.

Since the HIV/AIDS was first detected in Bangladesh in 1989, a total of 874 cases of HIV positive were reported and 240 cases of AIDS confirmed in 2006.

Since then some 109 people have died of the deadly disease in the country. According to an UNAIDS estimate, there are some 13,000 HIV-positive people in the country. Although overall HIV prevalence is low, Bangladesh is still considered a high-risk country for several reasons. These are presence of covert multi-partner sexual activity, low level of knowledge and low condom use, unsafe professional blood donation, high incidence of self-reported sexually transmitted infections among vulnerable groups and return of expatriates who work in different countries.

The country's vulnerability is very high compared to other parts of South Asia and infection rates within the vulnerable groups are increasing, leading to an ever-greater possibility that the virus will spread to the general population, says a study. National HIV surveillance indicates that the rate of HIV infection among street-based sex workers in central Bangladesh is high compared with sex workers in other parts of South Asia.

High level of HIV/AIDS in neighbouring India and Myanmar pose a serious threat of HIV/AIDS in the country.

According to India's National AIDS Control Organization (NACO), there was an estimated 2.5 million people with HIV positive in India in 2006.