Dhaka: Although there is low prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the country, Bangladesh is still at high risk of the deadly disease due to its demographic transition and easy access to drugs, say experts.

‘Bangladesh is a low HIV prevalence country, but it can’t be said we’re free from HIV risk,’ director general of the Directorate General of Family Planning Mohammad Wahid Hossain told a seminar on Thursday.

He said the recent population characteristics show that most of them are youths and they have easy access to drugs, which eventually put them in danger of spreading such alarming disease—HIV/AIDS.

Citing statistics, Wahid said if they stop working on prevention of HIV, its prevalence will go up to 7 percent within 25 years while it is now only 0.1 percent in the country.

Project Management Unit of Link Up Bangladesh, Marie Stopes Bangladesh and Population Council jointly organised the dissemination seminar at BRAC Center Inn, Mohakhali in the capital.

Ella de Voogd of the Embassy of the Netherlands in Dhaka; Falicity Morgan of International HIV/AIDS Alliance, UK; country director of Population Council Dr Ubaidur Rob; acting managing director of Marie Stopes Bangladesh Masrurul Islam also spoke at the seminar.

The speakers said working with youths, most importantly the ones from the most at risk communities, is always difficult as they are the most deprived and stigmatised part of the total population.

‘They’ve poor health-seeking behaviour as well as poor health knowledge. Furthermore stigma and discriminatory attitude from the general people and also from the health professionals inhibits the risk groups of having access of treatment,’ Wahid said.

Findings of a study released at the seminar show that a enhance stigma training to the service providers reduce the stigma and discriminated attitudes to the key populations significantly.

Representatives from development partners, NGOs, Health Ministry and beneficiaries took part in the seminar.