Practise religious life to fight AIDS
US Ambassador tells seminar
US Ambassador to Bangladesh Patricia A Butenis has underscored the need for following religious and moral ethics in personal life to combat the deadly disease AIDS, says a press release.She said the AIDS situation in Bangladesh is not alarming, but the surrounding countries have been posing a serious threat to the health and hygiene of the people of this country. Butenis was speaking as chief guest at a seminar titled 'Stop AIDS, Keep the Promise' at the conference hall of Northern University Bangladesh (NUB) in the city yesterday. The seminar was jointly organised by the Masters of Public Health (MPH) Programme of NUB and Light House to mark the World AIDS Day 2006. Presided over by Abu Bakar Siddique, acting vice-chancellor and treasurer of NUB, the seminar was also addressed by Dr Robert Kelly, country director of Family Health International USA, Dr Md Abdus Selim, manager of National AIDS and STD programme of the health ministry, Dr Nizamuddin, director of Save The Children USA, Md Lutfor Rahman, director of NUB, Dr Lazeena Muna, advocacy adviser of USAID, Wahida Banu, chairperson of STD/AIDS Network in Bangladesh, Prof Dr M Mohiuddn of MPH department, Dr Shahanaz Chowdhury, coordinator of MPH Programme, and Dr Mosharraf Hossain Khondoker, president of Light House. Ghanashyam Sharma, president of HEADP-Nepal and a student of MPH Programme, read out the keynote paper while Prof Dr Nazrul Islam, head of virology department of BSMMU, was the special guest at the seminar. Butenis said Bangladesh is a moderate Muslim country and there are religious and moral bindings in the country which can help face AIDS. She called for creating social awareness for preventing the disease in the rural areas. Prof Nazrul Islam called for expanding medicare facilities to all over the country to fight HIV/AIDS effectively. Abu Bakar Siddique stressed the need for vigorous campaign against the HIV/AIDS as it is a dreadful disease throughout the world. "Injection Drug Users (IUD), Floating Sex Workers (FSW), Sex Workers at Brothel, Unprotected Sex and Blood Transfusion are mainly responsible for this transmitted disease," he said. He called upon all to maintain a religious life for the betterment of mankind. The seminar was followed by a film show on HIV/AIDS.
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