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this page Newsletters - The Impact of HIV/AIDS on Children
Bangladesh
Bangladesh is lucky. While the HIV virus was first found in the country in 1989, it still has a comparatively low rate of HIV/AIDS. According to government statistics in 2006, only 874 people from a population of 150 million have tested positive for HIV. However, this is likely to underestimate the true scale of the problem, and many people point to the fact that Bangladesh is a high-risk country with an increasing infection rate. The two main factors allowing HIV transmission in Bangladesh are unsafe sex practice in a growing sex industry and returning migrant workers who, having acquired the virus when working abroad, infect their wives when they return home.
It is within this context that the Church of Bangladesh Social Development Programme (CBSDP) has carried out its HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention activities since 2003. People are made aware of HIV transmission, prevention and treatment through community discussions, video shows and drama presentations, while brightly coloured billboards and posters help keep the topic in the public’s mind. CBSDP also arranges workshops for groups of people particularly vulnerable to HIV infection, including bus and truck drivers, rickshaw pullers, day labourers and people of transgender (hijra). Special attention is also given to children and youth, with some teenagers given special training on how to raise awareness among their peers. Visits are also made to schools, supporting the teachers in using the HIV/AIDS material that has recently been included in government text books. The hope is that no-one can say they are ignorant of the risks of HIV.
But CBSDP acting alone will not be enough to change people’s attitudes. Therefore, to increase understanding and help reduce discrimination of HIV/AIDS within the wider community, CBSDP arranges seminars with community leaders (Imams, priests, local political leaders) and government staff to enthuse them to actively raise awareness of HIV and how to prevent its transmission. This is complemented by other work with adolescents and adults to promote women’s rights and raise their status in society, which will make it easier for women to have more control over their sexual health.
All of this is having an impact. People, especially youth, are more willing to talk about HIV/AIDS, and many are passing on the message to family and friends. Attitudes are changing. For example, when people attend the barber, they are now more willing to buy a new blade than use a previously used one as before. Some Imams give speeches in Mosque during ‘Jummabar’ (mosque weekly service), inspiring people to follow the rules of religion to prevent HIV transmission. However, cultural attitudes to sexual health are deeply ingrained, and will take a lot longer to change. Ironically, the fact that the HIV rate is low and very few people know an AIDS patient, prevents many from appreciating the urgency needed to avert the possible sudden steep increase in HIV infection.
People with HIV in Bangladesh still face stigma and discrimination. Many people think that HIV and AIDS is a punishment that they deserve. Whole families suffer, becoming stigmatised from society and can be refused food from shops. Because of this stigma, most HIV-positive people do not want to tell of their infection. CBSDP has links with other NGOs that work with HIV-positive people, providing treatment and support for them. While the numbers are not huge (one organisation has 455 registered HIV-positive members including 134 female, 295 male, 24 children and two transgender – most of them migrant workers) their work is important. They try to ensure as normal a life as possible for the sufferers, supporting them to live at home with their family and providing monthly health checks and medical treatment. Some organisations also have a special focus on children, supporting AIDS orphans by providing fees to enable them to continue their schooling, negotiating with village leaders and others should there be any problems, and providing nutrition support to the children and women. Without this support, these orphans would probably leave school and face a life of begging.
It is our prayer that all organisations can continue to work together to prevent the ravages of HIV/AIDS spreading throughout Bangladesh.
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