"Enough is enough. No more hiding. We'll have to fight for our dignity and rights. And this how we can force the society to change its attitude towards us," says Perveen, an HIV carrier.
Perveen (not her real name) got infected with the deadly virus from her husband who lives abroad. "When I came to know first that I was affected by HIV, it felt like a death warrant and I wanted to die instantly," says a distraught Perveen.
She goes on: "When our fellow-villagers came to know that both of us are HIV positive, they isolated us. No one freely mixes with us and feels uncomfortable to talk to us. Even our 12-year-old son gets the same treatment. Thank god! Our son is okay. Now my aim is to help my son lead a normal life."
Perveen's husband has passed away amid social negligence, but she has not given up. Now she is an active member of Mukta Akash, an NGO working with the HIV-infected people.
In 2004, CARE Bangladesh published the book, 'HIV and I' describing the plight of an AIDS victim, Shivani. While working abroad as a housemaid, she had met a car crash that needed her to have blood transfusion. Shivani was given blood by another maid, who was HIV positive. This is how she got infected with the deadly virus.
When her employer came to know about it, they sent her back to Bangladesh. On return home, she went to a doctor for treatment. But the doctor handed her over to police. Police confined her in a room. At that time, people used to gather to see her. They used to talk among themselves how to kill her.
"I'm still alive, as there are good men in the world. It was not my fault that I got infected with AIDS," she says. But there are people "who consider me as a criminal and hates me," Shivani says with tears rolling down her cheek.
Like Perveen and Shivani, many face social isolation after testing HIV positive. Everyone should help the infected so that they can lead a normal life.
In this regard, CARE Bangladesh development officer Mosfaq Salehin says, AIDS doesn't spread through social mixing, eating and bathing with the infected people. It even doesn't spread through an infected person's sneeze, cough and clothes.
He says with instant treatment, the infected people can be kept healthy. Currently, a medicine, 'antirecto virus drug' (ARV) is used to treat the HIV positive. This medicine reduces the amount of virus in the body to a certain extent. Though expensive, if this treatment continues, an AIDS-infected person can survive for long.
According to a 2002 UN report on the global HIV pandemic, the number of AIDS-affected people in Bangladesh was 13,000. But a government report released in December, 2005 put the number of HIV-affected people at 7,500. It shows that Bangladesh is at risk. And preventive measures alone can keep the disease away. There is no cure once infected.
"We have to change our attitude towards the infected," said Mukt, executive director of NGO 'Mukto Akash.'
She also says, with trust and love the affected can be made conscious to help prevent the disease. It's not possible to prevent it by hating a HIV carrier or distancing from him or her.
According to a World Health Organisation report released in 2002, there were 4.2 million AIDS-affected people in the world and another 4.5 million will be affected by 2010. the USAID fears that 7 crore men, women and children will die of this disease.
As of now, the number of HIV positive people in Bangladesh is very small. But, the AIDS epidemic in neighbouring India and Myanmar is a matter of grave concern. Besides, a large number of people visit India for various reasons. Due to this, AIDS can take an epidemic turn in Bangladesh, fear the experts.
Habiba Akhter, executive director of Ashar Alo, an NGO, says, most people in Bangladesh know nothing about the disease. They do not know how it spreads or how to keep from it. According to a UNICEF report, 96 per cent women and 88 per cent men have no idea of AIDS.
Besides, Akhter says, due to lack of education and counseling before going abroad, people get engaged in risky sexual relationships there. This is how they return home carrying the virus. And knowingly or unknowingly they infect others. Even leading a relatively safe life, women are getting affected. Therefore, those who go abroad will have to be made aware first. The topic should be included in textbooks to make children aware about it.
Most people think AIDS is caused only due to sexual relations. They, however, do not know one can be infected through used needles, syringes, razors and blades. Besides, the infants of infected mums may have the virus. The babies can also be affected by breast feeding. Awareness can prevent the disease. Experts think the number of AIDS-affected is increasing day by day only due to superstitions.
Out of fear of public humiliation, the infected people keep their condition a secret. It facilitates silent spread of the disease. In this regard, Habiba Akter says, "if it is made public, the affected person loses his or her job. Everyone concludes that the AIDS-affected are bad people. Due to the fear of being socially discriminated and isolated, the affected people do not provide any information."
Experts feel that there is more to be done for the HIV carriers. Nowadays many organisations are working for their welfare. Besides moral support, they need financial assistance, as the treatment of this disease is very expensive.
Obviously, the AIDS-affected people always live in fear of dying. On top of it, they receive cruel, and even inhuman treatment from the society. This makes them feel devastated. Everyone needs to keep in mind that they are not criminals.They must not feel the absence of love and care
AIDS victims must not feel the absence of love and care
Shakila Sultana | Published: August 09, 2008 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00
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