At a roundtable discussion on prevention of HIV/AIDS a must, speakers have called for open dialoguing at all levels of the society for sensitising people about HIV and its dreadful consequences. An atmosphere should be created so that open discussion can take place at all tiers of society, including at the family level.

The discussion meeting participated by a cross section of the people including sex workers and representatives from various international organisations operating in the country stressed the need for shunning the tendency of treating the subject as something of a taboo. At the forum no less than the Adviser in Charge of Health and Family Planning pointed out that most people in the country often get panicked when they hear of HIV/AIDS and consider it as an evil omen.

Those who have already contracted HIV often tend to hide the fact and hence it is difficult to assess the actual number of people afflicted in the country and the overall prevailing scenario.

We are in full agreement with the observations made by speakers that there is no reason for complacency despite the fact that only minuscule percentage of the population lives under the looming threat of the disease. Bangladesh is a risk-prone area surrounded as it is by countries which have a rather high incidence of HIV/AIDS. We can also learn from them the ways they are grappling with the problem.

There is no alternative to building extensive social awareness about the disease more so amongst the vulnerable groups like slum dwellers, floating destitute people, truck drivers, sex workers, etc. It is high time too that the media campaign on the preventive and curative aspects of the disease is also further geared up. Periodic monitoring of the schools and colleges should also take place to ensure that the teachers regularly teach the students the prescribed text on the subject. Allegedly, teachers themselves have often been found reluctant to teach the subject.

There is yet another aspect government should pay urgent attention to. More and more easily accessible diagnostic centres should be opened for diagnosing people suspected of having contracted the HIV, free of cost.