Rate of HIV infection among injecting drug users is 7.1pc

Rate of HIV infection among injecting drug users is 7.1 per cent. Proper counselling and HIV testing are not easily available in the country. Alongside various problems of drug dependents, the risk of HIVAIDS infection has increased. The Director General (DG) of the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC), Khandker Mohammad Ali, said this while opening a Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) Lab for Drug Dependents at Gazipur Ahsania Mission Drug Addiction Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre Monday. The VCT Lab was set up at the initiative of Gazipur Ahsania Mission Drug Addiction Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre in cooperation with the USAID Family Health International (FHI), says a press release. The DG further said, there is close relationship of HIV with drug. This is why, it is imperative to accelerate HIV prevention programme alongside its cure. It has become very essential to establish VCT Lab in the government and non-governmental drug addiction treatment centres of the country. Additional Director of the Department of Narcotics Control Abu Taleb, its Gazipur unit Superintendent Subodh Kumar Biswas, Technical Officer of FHI Dr Borhan Uddin and coordinator of Dhaka Ahsania Mission Iqbal Masud were present at that time. Speakers further said local people and other organisations will also get an opportunity to test HIV free of cost from this centre. Till now, over 1600 drug dependents received free counselling and HIV testing under Dhaka Ahsania Mission's AMIC Modhumita Project since 2006.