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Abstract
STD services as part of HIV/AIDS prevention program lacks sustainability: a Bangladesh perspective
N.A. Chowdhury
Issues: Bangladesh is a low prevalence country where HIV is still less than 1%. On the contrary infection rate of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) are quite high and every year about 300 million cases of new STDs are detected. STDs are greatest among the high-risk groups like sex workers (SW), drug users and their clients. The SWs living in the streets are in the greatest risk to suffer from STDs and HIV infection because they are the poorest and lack any kind of shelter.
Description: To overcome this problem many Non Governmental Organizations (NGO) and Self Help Groups (SHG) have “HIV Prevention Programs” to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS epidemic in this country. As an essential component of the prevention activities the NGOs and SHGs are providing STD treatment through drop-in-centres (DIC) to the street based sex workers (SBSW). The SBSWs are receiving service from DICs where a qualified medical doctor is employed by the NGOs and the SHGs treating their STDs by Syndromic Management approach. They have to pay very nominal amount of service charge for this treatment and provided medicines free of cost.
Lessons learned: Most of these programs are funded by the donor agencies for a specific period of time. Due to lack of fund if any of these programs close than the STD and HIV prevention activities will be seriously affected. The sustainability of these programs is very limited. The government health facilities are not available in the vicinity to provide STD services to the SWs.
Recommendations: We should try to provide services through sustainable programs if the prevention efforts should continue. Government of Bangladesh and all stakeholders should take steps to ensure services to the sex workers that are sustainable in the long run for prevention of HIV/AIDS epidemic in Bangladesh.
AIDS 2006 - XVI International AIDS Conference
Abstract no.
CDC1684
Suggested Citation
" N.A. Chowdhury
STD services as part of HIV/AIDS prevention program lacks sustainability: a Bangladesh perspective.
:
AIDS 2006 - XVI International AIDS Conference:
Abstract no.
CDC1684"
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