President Hamid urges fair deal for AIDS patients

President Md Abdul Hamid has described the discrimination faced by AIDS patients as ‘saddening’ .

“AIDS is not a curse … But many people with AIDS suffer neglect they don't deserve. We need to change the public perception and be broad-minded on these issues,” he said at the inauguration of the 12th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP) in Dhaka on Saturday.

The ICAAP is the largest international forum on AIDS held in the Asia and the Pacific region.

Governments, and researchers, academicians, NGOs, journalists and people with HIV/AIDS are the members of this platform.

The first ICAAP congress was held in Australia in 1990.

About 1,000 representatives from 56 countries are participating in this year’s event, jointly organised by the health and family welfare ministry and the Partners in Population and Development (PPD).

At the opening ceremony, the president said: “We have to give more attention to find out HIV patients who are living in disguise, because they seem to become serious threat to spread HIV among the public.

“It is time for an end to discrimination and stigmatisation of the people living with HIV/AIDS. The plight of the AIDS widows, AIDS orphans or for that matter children and spouses of those living with AIDS is very challenging.

“It is appalling to see that it is happening in an age which boasts of pushing the boundaries of science and technology to new levels,” he continued.

Hamid said Bangladesh had realised the importance of preventing AIDS long ago.

“We have made significant progress in mitigating the spread of HIV. But there is no place for complacency. No society can be safe till all its members follow the simple rules that are essentially knowledge-based and behaviour-driven.”

Though Bangladesh is not a high-risk country according to the statistics, it has attached highest importance to containing HIV transmission in the country, he said.

“Many of our young people are going abroad for jobs every year. Therefore, we cannot allow any Bangladeshi citizen to fall victim to the HIV virus.”

President Hamid praised the ICAAP for playing ‘a pivotal role in raising public awareness’ on AIDS and wished success of this year’s congress.

Health Minister Mohammed Nasim chaired the programme addressed by, among others, State Minister for Health Zahid Maleque, Health Secretary Sayed Monjurul Islam, ICAAP Secretary-General Joe Thomas and UNICEF representative Philippe Cori.