World AIDS Day today

Staff Correspondent: The World AIDS Day-2015 is being observed in the country today (Tuesday) as elsewhere across the globe including Bangladesh.

This year`s theme of the day is: `Zero new HIV infections, Zero discrimination, Zero AIDS related deaths`.

The Ministry of Health and different NGOs have taken elaborate programmes to observe the day. President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, meanwhile, have issued separate messages highlighting the importance of fight against the spread of the deadly disease.

According to a report of UNAIDS, it was estimated that 8,900 people are living with HIV in Bangladesh in 2014. There were 433 new infections reported in 2014. Of them, 563 have died.

In 2014, it was estimated that 309 children (aged 0-14 years) were living with HIV and the estimated number of new infections among children was 63.

The World AIDS Day is observed on December 1 every year to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and demonstrate international solidarity in the face of the endemic.

Risingbd/DHAKA/Dec 1, 2015/Mukul