’79pc returnee migrants not aware of HIV infection risks’

Speakers at a dissemination seminar yesterday said 79 percent of the returnee migrant workers have no knowledge of modes of the HIV transmission that increases the risk of their being infected with the virus.
Currently around seven million Bangladeshis are working as migrant worker at around 100 countries and sending remittance worth $10 billion dollars. So, their health, working environment and safety should be ensured, they said.
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) commissioned the assessment study titled ‘Situation Assessment of HIV/AIDS related knowledge, picture and services among Bangladeshi migrant workers.’ The study was conducted on 248 migrant workers from November 2009 to January 2010.
It revealed that 57 percent of departing and 58 percent of returnee migrants have no knowledge about sexually transmitted infections.
Expressing grave concern over the lack of awareness of the HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases among this group, the speakers stressed the need for special training and orientation to the departing migrant workers.
Citing the study, they said only 2 percent of returnee migrants received formal training or orientation on the HIV/AIDS before migration, which is very frustrating.
Though Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) conducts a two-hour pre-departure briefing, the health matters especially the sexually transmitted diseases remain totally absent there, Shakirul Islam, chairman of Ovibashi Karmi Unnayan Program (OKUP), said while presenting the key findings.
“The health rights of the migrants should be mainstreamed in the health policy as well as in the migration policy of the country,” said Rabab Fatima, regional representative for South Asia, IOM.
Sixty to 70 percent of the total detected HIV positive cases in the country belong to the migrant group, said Dr Salil Panakadan, country coordinator of UNAIDS, stressing the need for preparing the migrants to face the vulnerabilities of the virus in the destination countries.
Both the sending and the host countries have responsibilities to protect the rights of migrant workers and there should have accessible information centres for them. The Bangladesh missions in receiving countries also can play an important role in giving orientation to the workers, he added.
Dr Zafar Ahmed Khan, secretary in charge to the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment spoke as the chief guest while Dr Mohammad Ali Belal, line director of National AIDS and STD Programme, and representatives from different NGOs also spoke at the seminar.

Courtesy of The Daily Star