Experts for creating social awareness to prevent HIV/AIDS

Health experts have stressed for imparting proper knowledge with social values among young generations and vulnerable group people to create awareness for preventing spread of deadly HIV/AIDS diseases.
They were addressing a divisional level meeting on ‘Advocacy for Effective Implementation of HIV/AIDS Response in Bangladesh’ organised for by RDRS Bangladesh at its Begum Rokeya auditorium on Monday in the city.The National AIDS/STD Programme of the Directorate of Health Services of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, The Global Fund and Save the Children extended cooperation in arranging the advocacy meeting. The meeting was arranged under second phase of the Rolling Continuation Channel (RCC) private-public partnership programme of Save the Children working with the most at risk population including people living with injecting drugs and female sex workers.The meeting was aimed at increasing knowledge of the divisional level law enforcing agencies and health administrations on HIV/AIDS, Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) and situation of the diseases in
the country for preventing infections.Divisional Director (Health) Dr Shahadat Hossain attended the meeting as the chief guest with Head of Programme Coordination of RDRS Bangladesh Monjusree Saha in the chair.Head of the Department of Medicine of Rangpur Medical College Professor Dr Zakir Hossain, Civil Surgeon Dr Reajul Islam, Assistant Divisional Director (Health) Dr Sheikh Md. Fazlul Haque and Head of Microfinance of RDRS Bangladesh Humayun Khalid addressed as the special guests.Advocacy Coordinator of RDRS Bangladesh Iqbal Uddin delivered the welcome speech narrating the present situation of HIV infection and AIDS disease at the national, regional and global levels and its possible threat in Bangladesh in future.Manager-Advocacy of Save the Children Morshed Bilal Khan delivered the keynote presentation using multimedia projector on ‘Advocacy for Effective Implementation of HIV/AIDS Response in Bangladesh’ in the daylong meeting.The divisional level officials, heads of different government departments and educational institutions, teachers, students, religious leaders, NGO executives, physicians, socio-cultural and human rights activists, journalists and elite participated.Dr Zakir Hossain expressed concerned over the increasing number of young patients with HIV infections and stressed for disseminating adequate knowledge and education among young generations to create awareness among them on safer sex.The chief guest said the government has been working sincerely in preventing HIV infection to check further spread of deadly AIDS disease and the trained field level workers of the health department have been working towards the directions.He asked all concerned for enhancing GO-NGO cooperation and to play their due role in creating awareness among the younger generations including students and vulnerable group people on safer sex habits to get rid of the growing threat of HIV/AIDS. -BSS, Rangpur