Increase in participation of men a must to prevent HIV

Participants at a roundtable titled 'Involvement of men in successful prevention of HIV' jointly organised by the Prothom Alo and UNFPA at the Prothom Alo office at Karwan Bazar in the city yesterday.Photo: STAR

Speakers at a roundtable yesterday emphasised the need for participation of men to prevent the deadly disease HIV/AIDS in order to ensure gender equality and reproductive health rights.
They were speaking at the roundtable titled 'Involvement of men in successful prevention of HIV' jointly organised by the Prothom Alo and UNFPA at the newspaper's office at Karwan Bazar in the city.
Abdul Qayyum, joint editor of the daily, moderated the roundtable.
Dr Khandaker Ezazul Haque, HIV focal point of UNFPA Bangladesh, recommended increase of the male participation for safer sex which will prevent HIV/AIDS and also work to stop the disease spreading.
Director HIV/AIDS sector and South Asia Programme Adviser of Save the Children-USA Nizamuddin Ahmed appreciated some measures of the government to fight HIV, especially the step to include a chapter on HIV/AIDS from class six to twelve to inform the young generation about the disease.
Project Coordinator of CARE Bangladesh Kalpana Rani said women rights activists call for male participation in ensuring their rights, adding that it is now time for males to ensure safer sex to prevent HIV/AIDS also.
“As the males have more access to get involved in more females at a time, that might be risky to get infectious of sexuality transmitted infection, including HIV, and they can spread it to each of his partner and that could spread among vast number of people,” she added.
She also called on the sex sellers to be more responsible for stopping spread of any infectious diseases.
Executive Director of Bandhu Social Welfare Society Saleh Ahmed discussed the availability of condom and its promotion to stop sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV.
Executive Director of Ashar Alo Society Habiba Akter explained the situation of the expatriated workers and several cases among the women HIV positives who are mainly infected by their expatriated husbands or male sex partners for ignorance.
Describing the situation of sex workers and number of their clients, HIV/AIDS Adviser of United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Mozammel Haque said if the male as well as the sex seller does not practise safe sex, they might be infected with HIV and they will also spread it to others.
Line Director of National AIDS and STD Programme (NASP) Dr Mohammad Ali Belal gave a detailed picture of the role of NASP which has been working on HIV/AIDS along with safe blood transfusion across the country.
Assistant Country Director of UNFPA Hasina Begum, Associate Prof of Anthropology department at Jahangirnagar University Dr Manas Choudhury, Operations Manager of UNFPA Afsana Taher, Nafisa Huq of Independent University Bangladesh, Mohuya Leya of Manusher Jonno Foundation, Executive Director of Mukta Akash Bangladesh MS Mukti, Director General of Mass Communication Department Tasir Ahmed, Deputy Secretary to Home Affairs Ministry Abdul Hannan Sheikh and Samir Kumar Hawlader also addressed the roundtable.