Bangladesh Moves from Being a Low-Prevalence Nation for Hiv to One with a Concentrated Epidemic in Injecting Drug Users

Abstract

Bangladesh has been conducting annual serological surveillance for HIV and syphilis since 1998 among most at-risk populations including sex workers, males having sex with males, injecting drug users (IDUs) and heroin smokers. During the seventh round conducted between January and June 2006, 10,368 people were sampled and the overall HIV prevalence was 0.9%. The highest HIV rate was recorded in male IDUs from the capital city Dhaka (7%), and the rates have risen significantly over the rounds (P < 0.001). In Dhaka, most of the HIV-positive IDUs (10.5%) were localized in one neighbourhood, while in the remaining neighbourhoods 1% were positive (P < 0.001). In all other groups, HIV prevalence was <1%. Active syphilis rates were highest in female IDUs (9.9%) followed by female street-based sex workers (8.6%). However, rates in female sex workers in Dhaka declined significantly over the years (P < 0.001). Bangladesh has to act urgently to prevent escalation of the epidemic.

Seroprevalence Of Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C And Human Immunodeficiency viruses Amongst Drug Users In 4 Border Cities Of Bangladesh

“…This result is consistent with other studies demonstrating that hepatitis C virus infection is an alarming problem among parenteral drug users 7,8,9 .…”

“…In the present study, anti HIV antibody was not detected in any of the cases whereas the prevalence of HIV in IDUs is 1-10% (average 7%) in different zones of Dhaka city 9 .…”

“…About 7%-10% (9.1 to 13 million) population have hepatitis B and 2%-3% (2.6 to 3.9 million) of population have Hepatitis-C infection 7,8,9 . Most of the research works focusing drug users are concentrated in the capital city Dhaka and the vast peripheral zones especially border cities are yet to get priority.…”

Commercialised Sexual Exploitation of Children, Adolescents and Women: Health and Social Structure in Bangladesh

“…Surprisingly, several studies have shown the rate of HIV disease to be relatively low in Bangladeshi CSEWC (national rate 0.15% in 2014), although rates of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) (chlamydia, syphilis, gonorrhoea and other infections) exceed 50 percent in CSEWC (Azim et al, 2008;Baral et al, 2012;Eva et al, 2007;Hosein & Chatterjee, 2007;Hossain et al, 2011;Islam & Congrove, 2008;Khairin et al, 2005;Mondal et al, 2008;Nessa et al, 2008;Rahman et al, 2000;Uddin et al, 2014).…”

“…HIV rates are elevated in injecting drug users (mostly males) who share needles (Azim et al, 2008). AIDS/HIV is not, in essence, a sexually transmitted disease, but is mainly transferred through blood maintained at body temperature.…”