919 diagnosed with HIV this year

A total of 919 HIV-infected people have been detected in the country this year, the highest in the last 20 years, said a government survey.

Conducted by the National AIDS/STD Programme of the health ministry, the survey said 170 of the affected people had already succumbed to the virus. 

The findings were revealed at a seminar organised by the health ministry at the capital’s Krishibid Institution auditorium to mark the World AIDS Day yesterday. 

Md Shamiul Islam, director of the Mycobacterial Disease Control Directorate and line director of TBL and ASP, presented the survey report. 

Since 1989, a total of 7,374 HIV-infected people have been detected in the country. Of which, 1,242 have died of the disease, the report said. 

It showed that the number is increasing alarmingly every year. In 2000, it was only 31 and rose to 250 in 2009. 

Among this year’s affected, 74 percent are male, 25 percent are female, and the rest one percent includes transgenders. 

The survey also said about 3.9 percent of the people who inject drugs are affected by the virus. 

Health Minister Zahid Malik, the chief guest at the programme, said AIDS would be eradicated from Bangladesh by 2030. 

The government has taken up extensive plans to expand HIV testing services in all the district level hospitals, he said. 

The plans include establishing strong collaboration between the foreign affairs and the expatriates’ welfare ministries for tracking migrants, ensuring child transmission programme of pregnant mother under the government’s health service, and raising awareness among mass people. 

Asadul Islam, secretary of the health ministry, and Mohammad Aminul Islam Mian, director of National AIDS/STD Control, also spoke at the seminar. 

The World AIDS Day 2019 was observed with the theme “Communities make the difference”. The day was observed in collaboration with the World Health Organization.