Dr. Muhammad Mahtab Hossain Mazed: December 1 is World AIDS Day 2022. Appropriate initiative has been taken to celebrate the day like every other time in Bangladesh. World AIDS Day is an international day. Since 1988, the day has been chosen on December 1 every year. The day has been chosen to raise awareness against the spread of the AIDS epidemic due to HIV infection and to mourn those who have died from the disease. Government and health officials, non-governmental organizations and individuals around the world have been observing this day to raise awareness about AIDS prevention and control.
Place of origin of AIDS virus: Three decades after the discovery of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), UK researchers claim to have found its origin.
Oxford University researchers claim that after more than 750 million people have been infected in the last 30 years, it has finally been possible to identify exactly where the HIV virus came from.
The researchers said, evidence of the first HIV spread was found in Kinshasa, the capital of the Belgian Congo in Africa, around 1920.
They claimed to get this evidence by analyzing the genetics of thousands of people. The Central African country of Belgian Congo was under the colonial rule of the Belgians from 1908 to 1960. Researchers claim that HIV spread to Central Africa through the railway network from here.
Researchers say, ‘The deadly AIDS originated from a colonial city. Present-day Kinshasa, then known as Leopoldville, later became the largest urban area in Central Africa. Here the meat of wild animals collected from the nearby forests was famous.
30 years after the discovery of the HIV-1 virus, the cause of large-scale HIV transmission in humans remains unknown, Oxford researchers claim. Analyzing data on HIV-1 in Central Africa, the virus originated in Kinshasa around 1920. Social change and communication systems have played a role in the widespread spread among people.
Researchers say that this information has been made possible by genetic analysis of the HIV virus in a new type of method. Thirteen cases of virus transmission from chimpanzees, gorillas and monkeys have been documented. But there is evidence that the M group of HIV-1 is more prevalent in humans. Group ‘M’ and another group ‘O’ of the HIV-1 virus increased at the same rate until the 1960s, but later the M group tripled. This may be due to increased rates of multiple needle use and access to sex workers.
Researcher Oliver Pybus said in this context, ‘We analyze all available evidence in a phylogeographic manner for the first time. In this, it is possible to predict where the virus came from based on statistics. This means that it is possible to say with certainty the origin of the virus.
Researcher Nuno Faria said in this context, Kinsasa was moving fast at that time. As the largest city in Central Africa, it was connected to the entire Congo. Analyzing the data from the colonial period, it can be seen that by the end of 1940, more than 1 million people traveled by rail to Kinshasa every year. Analysis of genetic data shows rapid spread of HIV in Congo.
Dr. MM Mazed, Bangladesh’s prominent researcher and founder of Jatiya Rogi Kalyan Society wrote a column on today’s topic… World AIDS Day is marked by the World Health Organization. It is one of eight special days declared for global public health awareness. The remaining seven days are World Health Day, World Blood Donor Day, World Immunization Day, World Tuberculosis Day, World No Tobacco Day, World Malaria Day and World Hepatitis Day.
As of 2017, between 28.9 million and 41.5 million people worldwide have died from AIDS, and an estimated 36.7 million people are living with HIV infection. This has made it one of the most important global public health issues in recorded history. The arrival of recently improved antiretroviral treatment in many parts of the world has reduced the number of deaths from the AIDS epidemic since the peak in 2005 (1 million in 2016, compared with 1.9 million in 2005).
The first World AIDS Day was planned in August 1987 by James W. Boon and Thomas Netter, two public information officers of the World Program on AIDS at the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland. Director of the World Program on AIDS (now known as UNAIDS). Boone and Netter pitched their idea to Jonathan Mann. Dr. Mann liked the idea, endorsed it, and agreed with the suggestion that World AIDS Day should be observed for the first time on December 1, 1988.
Boone, a former television broadcast journalist from San Francisco, recommended the December 1 date. His belief was that well after the US election but before the Christmas holidays, World AIDS Day coverage by the Western media would peak.
In its first two years, the theme of World AIDS Day was aimed at children and young people.While this term was chosen, it was criticized for ignoring some cases of age groups most likely to be infected with HIV, the term helped to dispel some of the stigma surrounding the disease and increase recognition of the problem as a familial disease.
The Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) was launched in 1996, and assumed responsibility for planning and promoting World AIDS Day. Instead of focusing on just one day, UNAIDS created the World AIDS Campaign in 1997 to emphasize communication, prevention and education throughout the year.
According to Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, 28.5 percent of women in the country are unaware of AIDS. However, 71.5 percent of women are aware of at least one AIDS carrier. 36 percent of women are aware of all carriers. Five years ago in 2016, this rate was 29 percent. That is, the awareness rate among women about carriers has increased by 7 percent. Although the government had planned to increase 8-10 percent.
According to the data of the Department of Health, from November 2020 to November 2021, 12 lakh 91 thousand 69 people were tested for HIV/AIDS in the country. Last year this number was about 13 lakh 32 thousand 589.
According to the report, out of 729 newly infected people with HIV in the country last year, 420 were men, 210 were women and 12 were from the third gender. In the last one year, 186 (26) of the general population, 188 (26) Rohingyas, 144 (20) expatriates and their family members, 61 (8) intravenous drug users, female sex workers 17 (2%), homosexuals 67 (9%), male sex workers 53 (7%) and transgender 13 (2%)are thereAccording to the BBS survey, more than 14 thousand AIDS patients have been diagnosed in the country. 84 percent have come under treatment. 205 people died in Bangladesh due to this disease in 2020. A total of 1,588 people have died so far.
The first AIDS patient was diagnosed in Bangladesh in 1989. The first person identified is still alive and well. He is in regular contact with HIV treatment programs. Among those infected are male and female sex workers, homosexuals, people with tuberculosis, migrant workers, mothers visiting hospitals for delivery services, and Rohingya. 33 percent of the victims are common people.
Symptoms of AIDS:
Fever * Headache * Rash
Muscle or joint pain * Sore throat
Swollen glands * Fatigue * Diarrhea * Weight loss * Fungal infection may include, * Rapid weight loss. * Dry cough. * Frequent fever. * Sweating profusely at night* Persistent and unexplained weakness. * Swelling of lymph nodes in some places. * If you have diarrhea for more than a week. Exceptionally, any spots appear on the tongue or inside the mouth. * Gradual loss of memory and depressionHIV may be present in the patient’s body even though no physical symptoms of AIDS are present.
What to do to prevent AIDS: Key components of HIV prevention are education, awareness, and proper knowledge and understanding of risk levels. Positive change in people’s thinking and behavior is very important.
Adhering to religious practices is one of the ways to prevent AIDS. Religious and social norms should be followed in sexual relations. Premarital sex should be avoided. Multiple sexual partners should be avoided.
Uninfected people can stay free from HIV infection by practicing safe sex. Regular and proper intercourse without a condom should be avoided. Abstaining from free and illegal sexual activity is the best way to stay free from HIV infection. For people who take drugs by injection, the best way is not to take drugs by injection. If this is not possible, the use of reusable needles, syringes, blades or other instruments with an HIV-infected patient should be avoided.
Single-use sterile needles and syringes should be used.
If it is necessary to receive blood or organs, the body must be tested to ensure that the blood or organs contain HIV.
Having sexually transmitted or reproductive tract infections increases the risk of contracting HIV. So if someone has a venereal disease or reproductive system infection, it should be treated quickly.
There is a high risk of HIV infection from mother to child. However, in the case of mothers who receive the necessary therapy, the risk of the unborn child being affected is 85 percent.
Prevention information should be conveyed to the public with the help of various media to increase public awareness.
Homeo Remedies:-The patient is treated not the disease-Position of Homeopathy on AIDS:-As we know, HIV transmission occurs through blood, semen, vaginal or cervical discharge and mother’s milk. It may not show any symptoms in the early stages. However, acute retroviral syndrome can occur. Clinical stage-1, in this too the symptoms are not manifested; But the lymph nodes may remain swollen for a long time, especially the inguinal lymph nodes. Clinical stage-2, in which weight loss occurs. Recurrent sinusitis, tonsillitis, otitis media and pharyngitis may occur. At this stage, herpes zoster, mouth sores and fungal infections of nails can occur. Clinical stage-3, where weight loss continues. May have diarrhea for more than a month. There may be constant fever. Mouth sores persist. Tuberculosis can occur in the lungs. Or pneumonia, empyema and joint pain may occur. Symptoms of anemia and neutropenia are also seen at this time. Clinical stage-4, pneumocystitis pneumonia or recurrent bacterial pneumonia may occur. Apart from this, lymphoma, Kaposi’s sarcoma, invasive cervical carcinoma can also occur at this stage. Chronic diarrhea is a daily companion of such patients. These described symptoms apply to elderly patients. Many other symptoms are found in such patients.
AIDS and homeopathic treatment HIV or AIDS is a chronic disease. Clinical studies conducted by the Government of India since 1989 have shown that homeopathy medicines are effective for HIV or AIDS patients. Research paper published by the Central Council for Research in Homeopathy under the Ministry of Health, Government of India
HIV/AIDS and Homeopathic Management, a beacon of hope for the whole world. Clinical studies of 22 homeopathic medicines are included in the research book. We hope that our government will open the doors of homeopathy medicine for HIV or AIDS patients in Bangladesh by taking guidance from such research papers, so that patients can get effective results of homeopathy medicine. And the homeopathic medicine which is effective in treating most of the patients during the epidemic of any disease, there is a great opportunity for government research on the safe natural system of homeopathy to prevent this disease by applying it to healthy peopleFor new diseases like corona, dengue swine flu, homeopathic medicines which are already stored in the stock of homeopathy will be verified through government initiative research to improve the effectiveness of homeopathy. People will have to take more precautions to avoid contracting AIDS.
Author: Dr. Muhammad Mahtab Hossain Mazed is Doctor, columnist and researcher. He can be reached at drmazed96@gmail.com
