http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2009/02/15/news0400.htm
Media can play vital role to prevent HIV/AIDS BSS, Dinajpur Speakers at an advocacy meeting here have said that the media workers could play the most vital roles by creating mass public awareness to prevent the fearful threat of spreading HIV/AIDS. It is essential to disseminating proper knowledge to the people, especially the vulnerable people, about the dreadful diseases to check its spreading through effective participation and concerted efforts of all, they said. They also said that the media could ensure coordinated efforts of all stakeholders, including the youth, members of the civil society, government officials, public representatives and teachers to achieve the ultimate goals. Birampur office of World Vision Bangladesh (WVB) organised the advocacy meeting titled 'Role of Media in Preventing Spread of HIV/AIDS' at Birampur Outreach Youth Information Centre (OYIC) in Birampur upazila town of Dinajpur district on Monday. Chaired by project officer Ataur Rahman of WVB, its project officer (health) Sujit Kosta presented the main paper narrating the ways of spreading HIV-AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) with their present national and global situation. Local journalists, experts and executives of different NGOs, officials, public representatives, social workers, religious leaders, teachers and elite took part in the meeting. The speakers said the killer diseases have been posing formidable threats to human life and social health and environment with possibilities of further spreading everywhere, as the situation in the neighbouring countries is already vulnerable. The situation can turn worse if the vulnerable group people conduct their sexual habits and blood donation without proper education on safe sex and blood transfusions that increases the possibility of spreading the HIV/AIDS in these areas, they said. They suggested for conducting massive awareness building campaign by the media for people of all walks in the society including the vulnerable groups and floating sex workers in both urban and rural areas to work against this silent killer diseases. The WVB experts disclosed in the meeting that the OYIC has been conducting tests on HIV-AIDS and the other STDs and providing necessary treatments and medicines among the local people of the area. Besides, a special programme of the NGO has been running successfully to educate and make aware one lakh targeted group vulnerable people in the frontier upazila on the HIV/AIDS and STDs by the year 2010 to prevent spreading of the diseases, they said.
