Reducing Vulnerability to AIDS through Comprehensive Training Program

Anirudha Alam

Gearing human resources through training

Steering AIDS prevention towards sustainable attainment

HIV/AIDS has been multiplying human resource crisis throughout the world. So it is sorrow for us that development efforts are being stumbled again and again. Already a lot of vulnerable people have been on the way to be turned into the burden of their country and nation. It is happening because they are not well groomed with necessary knowledge and skill. The findings of Surveys conducted in different countries shows that in Bangladesh over the period of 1999-2000 and in Nepal over the period of 2001, at least 50% and 72% of men have heard of AIDS respectively. On the other hand, in four countries, like—Bangladesh, Haiti, India, and Nepal—no more than half of women have heard of AIDS. People susceptible to AIDS are practicing risky behavior due to their ignorance and lack of awareness. If we want to safeguard our social existence from such kind of vulnerability we have to ensure and orchestrate comprehensive and quality training for them.

Gender discrimination associated with trafficking, psychological and financial abuse, stigmatization, biasness, domestic & social violence, lack of access to legal aid & productive resources like land, loan and so on is the root cause of gender violence. Moreover, gender violence increases the likelihood to be affected by AIDS. Then again, some social ill-practices i.e. dowry, early marriage and polygamy make our society worthy of being attacked by AIDS. In the light of the findings emerged from the recent research organized by Bangladesh Extension Education Services (BEES), poverty and illiteracy, and other developmental deficiencies that is to say food insecurity, poor healthcare provision, disempowerment of women are contributing to the further spread of HIV extremely. Addressing all of these social issues, integrated training program should be mapped out on the basis of need. This will contribute to scaling up life skill of the underprivileged people as a whole. When training is provided to the target groups it should be ensured that they are getting the messages in the understandable way. Consequently, they are encouraged to participate in preventing HIV/AIDS. What’s more. In so doing, they will be well-equipped with enough efforts and timely life skill to tackle the epidemic.

HIV/AIDS is a deadly disease, but also everybody can safe from it. AIDS researcher Mohammad Khairul Alam said, “Everyone can protect from HIV infection by making smart decisions about sex and drugs. Some things are very risky to do, some less risky, and some are 100 percent safe. Obviously, the surest way to avoid the virus is to choose not to have sexual intercourse - vaginal, oral, or anal - and not to use illegal drugs.”

Social mobilization is another important factor to make training program on HIV/AIDS prevention more effective. It helps programs to be cost effective and achieve the desired outcome. Social mobilization stimulates the community people to participate such kind of development program related to reproductive health awareness. In thus way, it is possible to utilize their interest, eagerness, enterprising attitudes and courage for providing potential pace and prosperity to the program. There is no doubt that in this case, utilization of local resources will add an extra dimension in preventing AIDS.

In the training session, some case studies may be presented. Going through the case study, the trainees may realize that anyhow they have to gain enough life skill to confront the social disparities. As resource person, HIV positives may be invited in such training session to present their real life experience what made their life severely unrest. Under this training program, advocacy session may be arranged as well. Influential persons like doctors, teachers, Kazi, social workers, CBO (community based organization) Leaders, such representatives from local government as Union Parishad Chairman, Member and so forth in the community play important role as local policy maker. If they are involved in HIV prevention the program will gain extra stride. So they should be oriented properly on the social issues contributing to the spread of HIV and trained up on the means and ways to reduce the vulnerability of the community people.

If we want to translate vulnerable people into potential human resources they have to have enough awareness of reproductive health, accurate perceptions of HIV/AIDS, and coping ability to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS and other STIs (sexually transmitted infections). As per the research on reproductive health literacy conducted by Rainbow Nari O Shishu Kallayan Foundation in 2008 both in rural and urban areas of Bangladesh, awareness of AIDS is by and large lower among men and women in rural areas than among urban men and women. Awareness of AIDS is poorer among men and women with little or no schooling and training than those with more schooling and training. That is why; it is urgently necessary to improve the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of the disadvantaged community people especially in rural areas. In this regard, behavior change communication (BCC) should be brought about through integrated training activities. By way of BCC, the inner beings of community people will be stimulated to leave their bad practices as well as to be updated in having knowledge and information to prevent HIV/AIDS.

Anirudha Alam

Deputy Director (Information & Development Communication) & Trainer

BEES (Bangladesh Extension Education Services)

183, Lane 2, Eastern Road, New DOHS

Mohakhali, Dhaka 1206

Bangladesh.

Website: http://www.bees-bd.org

Phone: 01718342876, 9889732, 9889733 (office), 8050514 (res.)

E-mail: anirudhaalam@yahoo.com

Ref: USAID, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg, UNDP, UNESCO, World Bank