37 percent among the HIV-AIDS infected people in the country are still undiagnosed. Among the patients diagnosed with HIV, 23% are out of receiving treatment. As a huge number of the patients are out of being diagnosed and taking treatment, the threat of general people of getting infected by AIDS is increasing day by day.

The directorate of health has taken some initiatives like introducing HIV testing facility in the prisons and use AIDS patients as the field workers with a view to diagnose more patients and take them under scope of treatment. According to UNAIDS programme of United Nations, the rate of outbreak of HIV among the general people are less than 0.01%. The number of HIV-carriers in Bangladesh is around 14,000. According to AIDS/STD programme of health directorate, so far 8,761 AIDS-cases have been identified in Bangladesh and 1,588 people died in the disease.

The AIDS/STD officials said some AIDS-diagnosed people went abroad without taking proper treatment. And, whoever stayed in the country, are not being found according to the address and phone number provided by them. However, they’re working on finding their trace.

Former chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University and Virologist, professor Dr Nazrul Islam said, “The HIV-diagnosed and out of the treatment patients are leading normal life with their family and partners; so, the infection are spreading among general people. Hence, it’s necessary to test HIV of the people under risk of getting infected. If anyone is diagnosed with HIV, then they must have to undergo detailed treatment as the patients can stay well for long time by taking medicines.”

First AIDS patient was identified in the country in 1989 and he was a foreign citizen. In 1990, two Bangladeshi were identified with HIV-positive. Among them, one is still alive. After infected in AIDS, he married another AIDS patient and they gave birth of two children. The children are in good health, too. Many AIDS patients are remaining in good health and giving birth to healthy children. So, the physicians think the patients diagnosed with HIV shouldn’t conceal it and have to come under treatment so that he along with others can remain well.

HIV-test facility is available in 10 prisons in the country. MD akteruzzaman, senior manager of AIDS/STD programme of health directorate, said to make the AIDS-infected patients interested to take treatment, they employed one HIV-positive patients as field worker in each of the 12 HIV-AIDS treatment centers. The HIV-patient employed here is making other patients aware about taking treatment and the patients are becoming interested to take it without fear or superstitions.

He said as the prisoners have more propensity of taking drugs, their risk of HIV-infection is greater than others. So, the government has arranged facility of HIV-test in the prisons.

Some AIDS-patients were diagnosed in the prisons as well, he added.

@The reports was published in bengali on print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin on December 5, 2022 and rewritten in English by Lutful Hoque