Health care systems in transition III. Bangladesh, Part II. Bangladesh's response to HIV-AIDS.

Bangladesh is considered to be at risk from a large-scale HIV epidemic as a result of the existence of a variety of risk factors that promote the spread of HIV. These factors include: 1) a mobile population; 2) proximity to areas of higher HIV prevalence; 3) drug use; 4) commercial sex; 5) changing social norms; 6) status of women; and 7) barriers to treatment of sexually transmitted diseases. Despite the large number of known risk factors and at-risk situations and the high levels of reported risky behaviors there is no evidence that an HIV epidemic is evolving within the country. This may be because of the concerted responses of several organizations involved in HIV/AIDS prevention and management. These include the Government of Bangladesh nongovernmental organizations the private sector and other external agencies. However policy endorsement for interventions against HIV has not been directly translated into a full program of appropriate activities. True intersectoral intervention which recognizes inequalities that put so many people at risk of HIV in the country and which provides adequate safeguards for their care will further enhance the existing measures taken and could prevent a full-scale HIV epidemic.