1,745 infected with HIV in country

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FE Report
A total of 1,745 people are HIV infected until now (2009) in Bangladesh while the prevalence of HIV/AIDS rate among drug addicted people increased by 9 per cent recently in the capital.
Health and Family Welfare Minister AFM Ruhal Haque disclosed this at a press conference organised on the occasion of World Aids Day at his Secretariat office Tuesday.
The World Aids Day was observed Tuesday in the country as elsewhere in the world with the theme "Universal Access and Human Rights".
The minister said, "A total of 204 people have died of AIDS since 1989 and 619 people were infected with HIV in 2009."
The minister said the government is committed to preventing HIV virus and urged people of all walks of life to fight against the deadly disease and increase mass awareness to change the attitude about this and check its spread.
"Government will formulate a five-year strategic plan from 2011 to 2015 and ensure the financial assistance under these programmes," he said.
State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Capt (rtd) Mozibur Rahman Fakir said the rate of HIV/AIDS infected people are at a minimum level in comparison with countries like India, Myanmar and Thailand.
"To reduce the rate of HIV/AIDS infection we have to seal the border and stop the use of syringe among the drug users," he said.