The [him] moderator hopes that the participants were happy with their exercise books, pens, and plastic bags.
[him] moderator
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Workshop in refugee camp on HIV/AIDS, family planning
Kaladan News
November 27, 2007
Teknaf, Bangladesh: A one-day workshop was held in a Burmese refugee
camp on HIV/AID and family planning, according to a Majee from the camp.
The workshop was organized by the Family Planning Association
Bangladesh (FPAB) and was supported by the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on November 20. The training began at
10 am and was concluded 00:30 pm.
Twelve armed policemen (Lal Bahani), 12 Ansars, eight policemen and 50
Block Committee members participated in the workshop. The trainees were
provided one exercise book, one pen and one plastic bag. There were a
total of 80 trainees.
A doctor from FPAB came from Dhaka and presided over the training. He
said that lack of proper knowledge on HIV/ AIDS is highly risky. Only
17 percent of the most-at-risk groups have correct knowledge about
prevention of the disease and most people have misconceptions about it.
Nearly 50 per cent of the married women and 42 per cent of men of the
age group 15-54 years have no idea about how to avoid HIV. He asked
the participants to use condoms during sexual intercourse.
There is urgent need to lay emphasis on education, poverty alleviation,
and regular media coverage for disseminating knowledge about HIV/AID
and offer sex education to adolescents and the young under an academic
programme. More than 380 NGOs, AIDS service organizations, and civil
society bodies have been implementing various programmes and projects
across the country to contain the menace, he said.
Family planning is a critical issue and it requires attention at the
highest level and concerted efforts are needed to reduce the Total
Fertility Rate (TFR) to 2.2 per thousand live births by 2008. The
present TER in the country has remained stagnant at three per thousand
live births for the last few years, and if it continues, it would not
be possible to meet the millennium development goals.
The Camp-in- Charge of the Nayapara camp and UNHCR representatives Mr
Wahid, and Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) participated in the
training.
