Today is World Aids Day :

Authorities outline plans to combat deadly HIV
 

by Bharatha Malawaraarachchi

While the World marks AIDS Day today, health authorities reveal that in Sri Lanka, a majority of HIV cases constituting 96 per of the victims have been infected with the deadly virus through sexual transmission.

The transmission of HIV through blood transfusion has been reported only in three instances while there are no reported cases of transmission through the sharing of drug injecting equipment within the country.

However, there were 22 paediatric cases due to mother-to-child transmission. The first Sri Lankan with HIV/AIDS was reported in 1987 and by September 2005, 712 HIV infections have been officially reported to the National STD/AIDS Control Programme (NSACP).

According to statistics, 90 per cent of the reported HIV infected persons were in the 15 - 49 age groups with the majority of them in the 30 -39 year group, the most productive age of population.

Those detected with the virus belong to various occupations including professionals, businessmen, hotel/tourists workers, drivers, teachers, masons, soldiers, peons, seamen and labourers.

Reports indicate that there are about 3,500 people in Sri Lanka who have contracted AIDS. Sri Lanka has been classified as low HIV prevalence country in South Asia by UNAIDS and WHO with an estimated adult prevalence rate of less than 0.1 per cent.

"The true figures may be more since there is under-reporting due to stigma, discrimination and also limited availability of counselling and testing facilities," says Dr. Athula Kahandaliyange, Director General of Health Services.

Worldwide, 28 million people have died and another 42 million are estimated to be living with HIV today. Health specialists note that the disease continues to grow globally and has devastated many countries reversing national development, widening the gap between rich and poor people. Authorities explain that several risk factors make Sri Lanka vulnerable to an impending epidemic of HIV/AIDS.

"Some of them are the presence of a large number of vulnerable populations such as sex workers, migrant workers, military personnel, refugees, drug users, youth, low condom use and high rate of sexually transmitted infections and influx of refugees from high HIV prevalent Southern Indian states," Dr. Kahadanliyange added.

He stressed that Sri Lanka has a window of opportunity to act vigorously to prevent a nationwide epidemic.

He said the NSACP has been taking steps to prevent the spreading of HIV/AIDS through various preventive programs with World Bank aid.

Besides, partnerships are emerging and the Ministry of Labour, Education, Foreign Employment Bureau, three armed forces, Police, Vocational Training Authority, National Youth Services Council and NGOs are being actively involved with the NSACP in carrying out prevention programmes.

The NSACP has been carrying out targeted interventions to reduce risky behaviour patterns and also education aimed at adoption of safer sexual behaviours by people at risk."This is very crucial to sustain the low prevalence rate."

However, the number of women infected has now increased to be almost on par with men. The current ratio is 1.4 : 1. Analysis on HIV infected females show that 50 per cent of them were migrant workers employed abroad as unskilled domestic workers especially in the Middle Eastern countries.