[Bangladesh] Poverty can facilitate HIV/AIDS in Bangladesh

from News from Bangladesh

Mohammad Khairul Alam

HIV/AIDS endemic is already having destroyed social and economical system in some countries. It makes threat to move backward the progress that economies have made in many poor countries. HIV/AIDS affects everyone in both developed and poor countries. It is not a disease of poverty.

It is not individual problem. However the pandemic does push people deeper into poverty, making it more difficult for them to sustain or recover their earlier livelihoods. That, in turn, can make people and their families more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS infection. Globally, every day 14,000 people getting infected HIV and among them 90% of less developed countries.

Poverty does not cause HIV/AIDS infection; it can facilitate transmission, Poverty makes people more vulnerable to HIV infection, due to lack of health care knowledge, lack of proper digest, and lack of sufficient nutrition, which can result in a weaker immune system. They also have less access to healthcare facilities and education on health issues such as HIV prevention. So it is fact, poverty & gender discrimination would be the main cause of the spread of AIDS in Bangladesh, The rate of vulnerability to HIV/AIDS is our country is higher then the many parts of the world.

Unfortunately we are bound to say, HIV is only transmitted through man. We don’t get infect it by other living or death species. The overwhelming majority of people infected with HIV do not know they carry the virus. Many millions more know nothing or too little about HIV/AIDS to protect themselves against it. So it is true that men destroy themselves and others.

The most common reason of HIV/AIDS is considered to be the unsafe or unprotected sex. Sex without taking proper precaution like condom is very much responsible for HIV/AIDS. AIDS is usually transmitted from man to man through the semen or blood. Since 1981, more than 60 million people have been infected by HIV of which over 22 million people already died. Now, over 50 million people are living with HIV.

The health care system is low in Bangladesh. Thousands of people die in every year by several common diseases. Although some health or prevention knowledge would lessen this fatal mortality. Capital city’s health care system is upgraded in some extent but rural level health care system is nominal. Several NGO’s are working on HIV/AIDS prevention sector. But we found that there is a massive need of facilities and manpower to deliver comprehensive HIV care and laboratory facilities to support and monitor the therapy. There is a similar lack of medical personnel with enough knowledge of antiretroviral therapy. Possibilities for drug distribution to remote corners are limited and storage facilities are often insufficient.

Rainbow Nari O Shishu Kallyan Foundation found extremely high levels of infections among adolescent girls, which are higher than those for boys. This is mainly because of the fact that at young age, boys have sex with girls of similar age, while girls have relations with older men, who are more likely to be infected. Sexual harassment of schoolgirls by older men sometime may be the cause of HIV infection. Poverty also drives many adolescent girls to accept relationships with 'sugar daddies' (older men who are prepared to give money, goods or favors in return for sex).

As mention AIDS Researcher Mr. Roger Tatoud, “To "think" about women and their role in society is already to empower them. It is the first step that leads to power-sharing between men and women, and as such should be at the heart of the responsible and hopefully successful strategies much needed in the fight against HIV and Aids. Undoubtedly gender mainstreaming requires political will and commitment, often in the hands of men.”

Since the join and traditional familitical system playing a vital role to prevent HIV/AIDS without our concern in Bangladesh, this disease is not turning into an epidemic in a poor and illiterate country like us. Our religious belief, respect to other people’s thought, politeness as a nation and restricted social system etc. and the education which we get from our families, are protecting us from many unsocial activities and bad jobs. But in these days, our social values and the social structure are facing a great threat following the western cultures. Familitical ties are breaking; pre-marital relation and unsocial activities are increasing day by day. That is why to protect the traditional social system and to make aware the people – we have to be alert.

Reference: World Bank, UNAIDS