Committed to PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO KNOW
Vol. 5 Num 593 Sat. January 28, 2006  
   
Metropolitan


Create massive awareness to combat HIV/AIDS
SA parliamentary seminar recommends
Staff Correspondent

The Second Sub-regional South Asian Parliamentary Seminar on HIV/AIDS ended in the city yesterday with a call for creating massive public awareness to combat the deadly disease.

The speakers at the concluding session of the two-day seminar said HIV/AIDS is not only a clinical issue but also a political one to be addressed on an urgent basis.

The seminar was organised by Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA) at a city hotel with the support of UN and other international organisations.

Deputy Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Advocate Abdul Hamid attended the concluding session as chief guest.

Chaired by Barrister Ziaur Rahman Khan MP, the session was moderated by Zahiruddin Swapan MP and attended by Shazia Z Rafi, secretary general of PGA.

Abdul Hamid said the country's parliamentarians are working on HIV/AIDS, human trafficking and other serious issues affecting the people in general.

He also read out a message sent to the seminar by the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Sheikh Hasina.

In her message, Hasina said her government in 1996 recognised HIV/AIDS as a national problem and took immediate measures to combat the disease.

She said apart from national actions, joint collaboration among the neighbouring countries is imperative to tackle the disease because of its cross-boundary nature.

Jatiya Party Chairman H M Ershad also sent a message to the seminar.

Regional Director for South Asian Region of Action Aid John Samuel said there has to be a multi-sectoral approach to combat HIV/AIDS as it is not only a clinical issue but also a human, political, economic and cultural issue.

Opposition Chief Whip Abdus Shaheed MP, G M Quader MP and Habiba Akhter, executive director of Ashar Alo Society, an NGO working with HIV positives, and other experts from home and abroad were present at the concluding session.

Earlier on January 26, Prime Minister Khaleda Zia inaugurated the seminar where Dr Nafis Sadik, special envoy of the UN secretary general for HIV/AIDS in Asia and Pacific, was the keynote speaker.

Parliamentarians from different countries including India, Pakistan, Nepal, Thailand and Canada along with international experts and members of different UN organisations took part in the seminar.