Bangladesh: National Policy on HIV/AIDS and STD Related Issues

The existence of HIV/AIDS/STD poses a serious challenge to human kind. To date, there is neither a vaccine nor a cure for AIDS. It is now well known that the presence of STDs predisposes the individual to HIV infection. Unfortunately, many STD cases go undiagnosed and untreated.

HIV/AIDS is a human development problem fueled by poverty, the inequality of certain sectors of society, and the presence of other STDs. As a result, the socio-cultural, economic as well as health determinants of the transmission of HIV/AIDS/STD must be addressed. In formulating a national policy for HIV/AIDS and STD related issued, the need arises to incorporate the above as policy concerns as part of an action strategy for future programmes.

A National Policy Document on HIV/AIDS and STD, under the auspices of the Bangladesh STD Prevention and Control Project, was compiled by a ‘Task Force’ in early 1995 with the Chairman of the Technical Committee of the National AIDS Committee as its convener.