DT e-Paper, Friday, Decdember 2, 2016

WORLD AIDS DAY OBSERVED
News 7
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2016
Tuberculosis patients at high risk of HIV
• Hedait Hossain Molla, Khulna
The World Aids Day was observed
yesterday across Bangladesh aiming
at raise awareness of HIV and
AIDS and to honour those who
passed from AIDS related complications.
This year’s slogan for the day
is “Let’s raise hands of unity, let’s
prevent AIDS.”
On the occasion, the STI/AIDS
Network of Bangladesh, Ministry
of Health & Family Welfare and
various NGOs brought out a processions
from the Shahabag intersection
on Thursday morning and
paraded different thoroughfares
before ending at Osmani Udyan.
The reported number of HIV
positive cases in the country was
4,143 with estimated number of
nearly 9,000, according to the statistics
of UNAIDS Bangladesh.
According to the Mukta Akash
Bangladesh, a non-government organisation,
Tuberculosis patients
are at high risk of the deadly disease
Human Immunodeficiency
Virus (HIV).
Already three Tuberculosis patients
in Khulna have been affected
with HIV virus recently.
According to the NGO, the numbers
of HIV positive people are increasing
day by day due to lack of
consciousness.
In last one year from December
31, 2015 to November 30, 2016, a
total of 51 people, including 10 children
were infected by HIV/AIDS in
Khulna.
Abu Mohammad Ali Javed,
councilor and administrator of
Mukta Akash Bangladesh, told the
Dhaka Tribune that three Tuberculosis
patients had been infected
with HIV/AIDS recently.
Terming Tuberculosis virus as
nearly same as the HIV, he said:
“A total of 37 people were infected
with HIV virus in last one year from
December 31, 2015 to November 30,
2016 in Khulna. Six of the affected
died during the tenure.”
Rehana Begum, co-coordinator
of Mukta Akash Bangladesh, said:
“A total of 69 people in the area
are HIV positive and six of them
already died. Most the infected are
residents of Narail, Jessore, Satkhira
and Bagerhat.”
Senior Health Officer of Khulna
Md Abul Kalam Azad, said: “In 2015
there were 25 HIV positive people in
Khulna. In this year, 51 more people
were infected with the virus.”
Sources of World Vision Bangladesh
said about 5.1 millon Indian
are infected with HIV. Everyday
nearly thousands truck driver entered
Bangladesh and most of them
are HIV infected. These drivers
sometimes engaged in physical relation
with Bangladeshi girls without
using any protection. Not only
this, in last two years, from 2014
to 2016, total 2,234 people in India
have been infected by the HIV.
Earlier, experts warned that
Bangladesh is a low HIV prevalence
country with several well-documented
at-risk groups, the most
prominent of which is brothel-based
sex workers and injecting
drug users. Although prevalence
rate is remaining low in the country,
it is surrounded by nations with
much higher prevalence rates and
with its own at-risk population.
The World AIDS Day is observed
on December 1 every year
to raise awareness about acute immune
deficiency syndrome (AIDS)
caused by HIV, and to demonstrate
international solidarity in the face
DT
of the endemic.
The day is an opportunity for
public and private partners to disseminate
information about the
status of the pandemic and encourage
progress in HIV prevention,
treatment and care around the
world, particularly in high prevalence
countries.
Nasim: Bangladesh must continue
efforts to end AIDS by 2030
Health and Family Welfare Minister
Mohammad Nasim today said
Bangladesh has been successful
in controlling HIV and AIDS and it
must continue the existing efforts
to end these sexually transmitted
diseases by 2030.
“The government along with local
and international organizations
would be able to free the country
from HIV and AIDS,” he told a discussion
in the Osmani Memorial
Auditorium here. •
Karnaphuli
Water Supply
Project
launches
• Anwar Hussain, Chittagong
The perennial water crisis is likely
to ease in the premier port city
Chittagong with the launching of
the much-awaited Karnaphuli Water
Supply Project.
Chittagong Water Supply Sewerage
Authority has already launched
the project on a trail basis on November
1. The mega project is likely
be launched formally by the end
of this year.
Managing Director of Chittagong
Wasa Engineer AKM Fazlullah
made the announcement while addressing
a press conference held at
Karnaphuli Water Treatment Plant
at Rangunia upazila of Chittagong
yesterday morning.
However, the age-old rundown
supply lines cannot withstand the
huge pressure of the increased supply
of water. Therefore, the supply
lines are developing leakages frequently.
Admitting the leakage in the
supply line, Fazlullah said, “The
leakage repairing task has now
emerged to be a challenge for us.
We have so far repaired 400 leakages
from November 1. We have information
that more 300 leakages
have developed in different parts
of the city.”
“We are now renovating and
replacing the 50-year old asbestos
and PVC pipelines with High-Density
Polyethylene and ductile iron
pipes which could supply water for
80-100 years,” added the MD of the
Wasa. •
Farmers unload vegetables from a boat to take those to Lakhiyarkhil railway station market, Dohazari, Chandanaish upazila, Chittagong yesterday. Farmers of the upzila
have witnessed a good yield of winter vegetables this year due to favourable weather and availability of agri-inputs
RABIN CHOWDHURY
Transport strike cripples the North
• Nazmul Huda Nasim, Bogra
Goods carrying from 16 districts
to other parts of Bangladesh was
hampered yesterday, as transport
workers observed strike.
North Bengal Truck, Covered-van
Owner and Workers’ Unity
Association imposed the strike
in 16 districts to press home their
seven-point demand.
The association went on
the strike, demanding a ban on
the movement of unauthorised
vehicles on roads and highways,
stop harassment by police in the
name of checking papers, dismissal
of government restrictions on
removal of car bumper, immunity
from accumulated interest from
delayed payment of tax-token,
fitness, route-permit, stop
harassment and extortion in the
excuse of weigh scales put in
different places, stop harassment
during renewal of driving licenses
and new driving license and
demanding new licenses for heavy
vehicles drivers.
During the strike, no vehicles
left Bogra, much to cause
sufferings for local traders and
farmers.
As workers stopped unloading
and uploading of goods, traders
and farmers in the district are fearing
that perishable goods might be
rotten.
Local said everyday there 16
trucks entered into the capital with
goods from Mahasthangarh. But
After imposing the strike, people in
the area got stuck in different local
markets with their goods.
Abdul Mannan Akondo, convener
of the association said: “Every
people in the region are working to
fulfil our demands.”
However, local people who are
suffering for the strike urged authorities
concerned to solve the
problem very soon. •