The ratio of HIV infection is increasing among the male homosexual and transgender generation. Also, the abundance of Syphilis infection is on rise. In the year 2017, the ratio was 4.8 percent but in recent years it has increased to 11 percent.
A Survey was run within four threatened populations of 12 different districts to find out the risk of expanding HIV infection. In this survey, the data was collected from nine thousand people among the category of, sex workers, male homosexuals, transgender, and those who take drugs in vain through the syringe. This survey was directed by the Department of virology (BSMMU) of Bangladesh Shekh Mujib Medical University. This scenario was revealed by this survey. The specialist said that the increasing number is really alarming for past 3 years.
The survey was done by the virology department of BSMMU, was titled “integrated bio behavioral surveillance of HIV”.
This survey was distributed on block A of the BSMMU auditorium on Monday (27th December 2021). The department head of the virology department Professor Dr. Saif Ullah Munshi was the leader of this survey team.
The data for this survey was collected from nine thousand people. Among then 3 thousand 80 people were drug abusers who use syringes, 3 thousand 11 were female sex workers, 2 thousand 70 were male homosexual, and 1 thousand 72 people were transgender. All of them were of between 18 to 40 years old.
The result of this survey shows that the ratio of HIV patients was 0.7 percent in the year 2017, in our country. Though this number has increased to 1.2 percent in 2020.
This survey also shows that the number of infections has decreased among female sex workers and drug abusers. Survey says that the number of active syphilis infections has increased among the four types of the population who participated in this survey.
In 2017 the number was 4.8 percent but it has heightened to 11% in recent years.
Addressing this uprising ratio as a warring issue Dr. Saif Munshi says, “We have seen before that the ratio of HIV infection was higher among the injecting drug addicts. But this survey has shown otherwise. This result shows that the number of HIV infections has decreased among sex workers and injecting drug addicts. Comparing to our previous survey.”
He also said that survey was run also on hepatitis B and hepatitis C. This virus has a larger presence among injecting drugs abusers. Dr. Saif Munshi says, “We have to empower our running awareness projects to control this alarming situation. Steps taken by the government have to be implemented.
Ex vice-Chancellor and virologist professor of BSMMU Dr. Nazrul Islam says, “We have to keep this HIV spreading among sex workers, injected drug addicts, male homosexual, and transgender populations only. We have to control this at any chance so that this virus cannot spread to civilians. We have to work together to establish such goal.
He says, physical relation, reusing of the used syringe, and from mother to newborn, this are the three ways to transmit HIV. In our county, this transmits used to happen by blood donating and through reusing of the syringe. There was no testing before the blood transmit. But now we are testing blood before transferring and using a disposable syringe instead of glass made syringes. But still the number of infections through injecting drugs is still very high. If 6% of them gets HIV, then 60% gets affected by hepatitis because hepatitis is more infectious.
HIV is such a disease that destroys the immune system of our body and takes our body to such a stage where it cannot create any defense against any disease. Which is known as AIDS.
The number of AIDS patients in our country is not much. It’s 1% of our total population. But the number of new patients is increasing.
Sex workers, injecting drug addicts, male homosexuals, and transgender has an increasing number of HIV infection. But within the last five years, the number has increased among housewives and pregnant women. Spreading AIDS in women has been considered an epidemic. AIDS appears to be exacerbated in 64 districts of Bangladesh. However, surveillance is limited in the Chittagong hill tracks