Responding to HIV affected by stigma: the Joint United Nations program

The Joint United Nations Program Coordinator in Bangladesh feels the stigma is the "main obstacle" to develop a good response to HIV in the country.

"If we can solve this one thing (the stigma), we can get closer to zero debt, zero new infections (HIV)," Kenny said in an interview, Liu bdnews24.com Sunday, as the world celebrates "World AIDS Day".

This year's theme of "three zeros"--zero new HIV infections, zero AIDS-related deaths and zero from stigma and discrimination.

A new report showed the United Nations recently, Bangladesh was one of the few countries in Asia and the Pacific that I couldn't control the new wave of HIV infection in the past decade, despite low prevalence.

As the report concluded that AIDS related deaths and not to drop a huge stigma associated with this disease makes it difficult to get the proper response.

Up to 20% of people with HIV may avoid seeing a doctor for fear of being ostracized.

Kamal Hussein, 36, (not her real name) was one of those unfortunates who had to hide with his wife in a place away when both have been detected as HIV

He said the clinic and the couple have frameworks for termination. It also asked its owner to leave.

"They (doctors) told me you will die soon." Some dream you have. Your wife is going to die, "how Hussein told him the skull after detecting HIV.

Kenny said the joint program that Bangladesh needed to consider "serious" in the detection of several cases of HIV.

"Is one of the reasons why people don't come to conduct voluntary testing for fear of stigmatization," Kenny says.

The ways to increase the number of people in the trial, and urged the Government to invest in ' prevention '-rather than push for "preventive treatment" of HIV.

"It is to make available voluntary testing and counseling centers, there is another way to merge this current" in kindergarten, and child and sexual and reproductive health services, "where you can test anywhere at any health facility.

He suggested the involvement of people in society, and discussed the idea of "suppliers" counseling and testing.

"This means that all pregnant mothers and test, if apparently in danger. "Not mandatory but the initiative of health professionals do. "

"But we must get rid of the latest facilities for rapid tests. It is easy. "Will someone get test results in 20 minutes, and begin treatment if necessary.

Kenny said that it takes three to five days in the use of traditional Western blot and Elisa test results and the procedure does not return people get results to lose them, don't go to therapy.

Government statistics show that Bangladesh has less than 3,000 people living with HIV, World AIDS Day last year-less than 1000 having access to expensive drugs supplied by the Government.

But the United Nations estimated at between 8,000 and 16,000, which means that many are left without treatment.

Kenny said, however, research indicates that starting treatment early and worked as a tool for prevention.

He said new guidelines propose starting the drug before CD4 cells earlier cut 350 cells/mm3 calculations.

 

And now recommends that the "who" to start the drugs when the number 500 cells/mm3, which is less than the normal rate, 000 cells/mm3.

CD4 cells as an army in the immune response in the body, revealing the hackers, viruses, and bacteria.

The most recent guidance, if Kenny, can double the number of people on treatment. "We have to find the money and we must ensure that we have the technical capacity to double the number of people in treatment.

And the benefits of early treatment.

"And in some cases has stopped therapy at a time when it seems that HIV is back. Has not healed. But them indicating that whenever you put people under treatment, the better. "

He also reduces the risk of transmitting the virus.

"Many people who start early treatment, the viral load of HIV in the blood so low that no movement of the virus, not easily anyway.” Kenny said.