Prevention of HIV/AIDS

We should feel happy that the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Bangladesh is much less than that of other countries, even some around us. But that does in no way allow us to bask in complacency because like it or not, in spite of the religious and social mores that exercise certain restraint on people's behaviour in our country, existence of other causative factors makes most people above a certain age potentially susceptible to the disease.
And although experts caution us to avoid stereotyping and not to consider irresponsibility and promiscuity being the exclusive preserve of men, the role of the male remains the predominant factor in fighting the scourge.
A very common thread that ran across the entire gamut of the discussion at a roundtable on "Men's involvement in the context of HIV prevention in Bangladesh" organised by the UNFPA and The Daily Star on Sunday, was that of the need for attitudinal change in men, they being the main carrier of the disease. And this being a male dominated society, there is need to break the barrier that stands in the way of the linkage between women's empowerment and men's involvement in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
It is also as much a matter of addressing the male mind as any other issue. While all are agreed that there is need for behavioral change in men, and that woman have to be empowered if any degree of success in combating the disease is to be achieved, it is important to identify what behaviour of the men one is talking about. It is very much a social issue, inasmuch as the situation involves the traditional relationship between men and women, so that a societal approach based on prevention is called for.
And that calls for, among other things, a long term comprehensive strategic policy with consistency in approach that will target the susceptible groups early on in their lives. And such a policy should be backed up by constant monitoring and analysis.