UNWA 2003 New Year Lunch

A New Year lunch was held at the Sheraton Hotel on 18 January 2003. Nancy Fee, UNWA Publications Co-Chair, who will leave Dhaka in February for her new assignment in Vietnam, spoke about her work in Bangladesh and the HIV/AIDS situation in the country and Asia.

For the past two years Nancy has worked with the World Bank HIV/AIDS programme in South Asia, on a secondment from UNAIDS. She has been responsible for the technical components of HIV programmes funded by the World Bank, focusing on Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Nancy noted that Bangladesh is currently a low prevalence/high risk country for HIV. The “high risk” situation is shown by low condom use among sex workers, needle sharing among injecting drug users, and a high rate of other sexually transmitted diseases (see the article on World AIDS Day in WOMUN December-January). There is an urgent need to build knowledge about HIV, and to promote behavior changes in order to prevent a larger HIV epidemic in the country. Nancy gave the example of Nepal, which was a low prevalence country for many years. But now nearly 20% of sex workers and 50% of drug users in Katmandu are infected with HIV.

Unlike neighbouring countries, Bangladesh can still prevent a larger HIV epidemic – but this window of opportunity is closing fast. The importance of moving quickly was emphasized by Dr. Gro Harlem Bruntland, the Director General of WHO, who has said that there are three main messages on HIV: prevention, prevention, and prevention. 

Nancy spoke positively about the partnership on HIV between the government, UN agencies, other development partners and NGOs. There is a shared vision and a strong, positive feeling among the stakeholders about the need to prevent an HIV/AIDS epidemic in Bangladesh. The government is a key player in these efforts. Last year, a major joint effort was made to prepare a proposal on HIV/AIDS for the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria. Nancy’s counterparts in the government worked very hard and often till late at night and on weekends to prepare a proposal in cooperation with development partners and NGOs. Just a week ago, we learned that Bangladesh has succeeded in obtaining US$ 19 million for the proposed HIV/AIDS programme targeting young people. In a country where a lack of coordination within the government and with development partners is often a problem, this experience presents a good example of what can be achieved by working together.   

UNWA members discussed how UNWA can be part of the prevention activities. Support to information dissemination at clinics and being trained as certified AIDS instructors may be possibilities.  

Nancy will return to UNAIDS and be responsible for HIV coordination in Vietnam, where the HIV situation is much more serious than in Bangladesh.  It is obvious that her expertise, leadership and excellent coordination skills are very much needed in the country. UNWA wishes her all the best in her new assignment.

Photos included in the Article [click to enlarge]