Bangladesh have reported 8,799 patients infected with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) till December 2022. Of them, 1,599 died, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). Till November 30, 2021, Bangladesh logged a total of 1,588 people who died of AIDS.
The authorities believe that 95 per cent of HIV patients will come under treatment by 2030.
In this context, health experts suggest the government to take more initiatives and plans to combat against the deadly virus. They feel need to increase identification test and coverage to detect the people who bear the virus. Particularly, more attention needs to be paid to Rohingya people, migrants, people who have been pushed back and AIDS-prone areas. They also opined to bring everyone under the HIV test in border areas as like the coronavirus.
According to UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, Bangladesh has so far registered more than 14,000 AIDS infected patients which is 0.1 per cent of the total population. However, only 8,000 patients are currently under the treatment.
After monitoring the statistics recorded by the DGHS, the number of AIDS infected people is increasing in the country day by day. Most of the newly HIV infected people are from expatriates or members of their families. Infections among general population increased over the past year, although new cases had been found in four type of population earlier.
According to the latest statistics, a total of 6,104 HIV infected people have been brought under the treatment. The rest of 1,125 AIDS patients still out of the treatment privilege.
However, Bangladesh National AIDS/STD Control Programme claimed that the rate of bringing AIDS patients under the treatment coverage is increasing every year.
The awareness rate in 2019 was 52 per cent which raised to 63 percent in 2021. Some 65 per cent of AIDS infected people was under the treatment two year ago which currently increased to 77 per cent.
It was learned that most of new cases detected in Dhaka division. Some 218 new cases of HIV have been detected in the division while 127 in Chattogram, 64 in Khulna, 45 in Sylhet, 28 in Barishal, 27 in Rajshahi and 15 in Mymensingh and Rangpur each.
According to age analysis of new cases, some 12.24 per cent is above 50 years old while 74.20 percent between 25 to 49, 8.5 percent between 19 to 24 and 2.07 perecent between 10 to 18 years old.
Meanwhile, UNICEF said a staggering 360,000 adolescents are projected to die of AIDS-related diseases by 2030. Unless additional investment in HIV prevention, testing and treatment programmes, 76 teenagers will die every day.
According to the report titled ‘Children, HIV and AIDS: The World in 2030 of UNICEF’ warned that if current population growth continues, the number of HIV-infected people aged 0-19 will reach 270,000 by 2030, about one-third less than current estimates.
The United Nations aims to bring 95 per cent of people living with AIDS under treatment. This goal must be achieved within the next few years.
According to UNAIDS, the estimated number of people living with HIV in Bangladesh is 13,000. Of them, 6,455 people have been identified through public-private level examinations. People who are unrecognized are not receiving treatment, increasing the risk of infection.
the number of people living with HIV in Bangladesh at 13,000. Of them, 6,455 people have been identified through public-private level diagnosis. Unrecognized people are not receiving treatment, but they are increasing the risk of infection.
The first case of HIV in Bangladesh was detected in 1989. Since then, 10, 20, 100 or 200 new cases have been identified every year. In 2018, the number of new cases stood at 869. Bangladesh registered the first death of HIV-infected patient in 2000.
According to statistics till November 30, 2021, Bangladesh tested a total of 6,28,312 people for HIV last year. In addition, 6,62,757 people went through blood screening. Bangladesh detected 729 more HIV infected people in 2021. Among them, 188 are Rohingya refugees came from Myanmar. With them, the number of potential patients infected with HIV in the country is 14,000.
During the same period, among the new cases, general population was 186 (26%), Rohingya 188 (26%), expatriates and members of their families 144 (20%), injecting drug users 81 (8%), female sex workers 17 ( 2%), homosexuals 67 (9%), male sex workers 53 (7%) and transgenders 13 (2%).
DGHS Line Director Dr Md Khurshid Alam, also the project director and line director of Tuberculosis-Leprosy and AIDS STD Programme (TB-L & ASP), said, “The rate of HIV infection
in the country is very low, only 0.1 percent. Although the rate of infection is low, there is a risk of HIV surge due to overcrowding, internal and international migration and lack of awareness. Alongside, the risk is increasing for Bangladesh as the rate of HIV infection is much higher in neighbouring countries like India, Pakistan, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.
