Myanmar has been taking steps in fight against HIV, especially the preventive measures against HIV infection occurring among groups who move about for their living.
The authorities have stressed the urgent need for launching HIV prevention work through education on such groups whose undertakings are
posing a high level of danger to the society, citing those earning their living through sex trade and their partners as well as those working with the career, drug users and their close associates, hotels and inns, and Karaoke entertainment centers.
To prevent AIDS and syphilis, efforts are being made for giving educative talks on AIDS, for 100-percent use of condoms in targeted groups
in 170 townships in the country and for effective treatment of sexually transmitted diseases.
With the assistance of UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund), measures are being taken to educate those moving across border for their living, especially in their entertainment sector.
Meanwhile, work has also been underway for preventing spread of HIV among those who use drugs through injection and from mother to fetus at 37 hospitals and 106 townships, while preventing such spread through blood transfusion and introducing safe blood transfusion.
Besides, 13 strategies on preventive measures and rehabilitation are now being implemented under five-year national strategic plan (2006-2010) adopted collectively by the relevant ministries, local non-governmental
organizations, UN agencies and community-based organizations.
Financial assistance for implementing the job is supported by the Government, UN Agencies, NGOs and Three Diseases Fund, official report said.
In cooperation with foreign organizations in the fight, Myanmar is actively taking part in implementing the ASEAN HIV/AIDS Control Plan, the
HIV Prevention Plan in Mekong Region countries, and regional and central level plans of UN agencies.
Moreover, the country is also cooperating with neighboring countries to combat and control TB and HIV/AIDS cross border under a special plan.
HIV/AIDS is among the three major communicable diseases of national concern designated by Myanmar. The other two diseases are tuberculosis and malaria.
In fight against major diseases, Myanmar has taken steps to control TB, malaria and HIV/AIDS as a national duty realizing that these diseases can pose a great danger to the public health.
HIV prevalence rate has reportedly attained the most critical point especially in the border areas where socio-economic status is complicated.
The infection rate of HIV in Myanmar declined to 0.61 percent in 2009 from 0.94 percent in 2000, the latest official figures show.
According to an earlier report of UNAIDS, there are 6 young women per 1,000 at the age between 15 and 24 infected with HIV, while it is for 7 young men per 1,000 at present in the country.
Myanmar began introducing anti-retroviral therapy (ART) treatment for HIV/AIDS patients in 2005, but only 15 percent of the patients were so far fulfilled.
The country is striving to cut the number of deaths caused by HIV/AIDS but so far nearly 80,000 HIV patients including 1,600 children in Myanmar are in need of ART treatment, the Health Ministry said.
According to the statistics, about 25,000 died of the disease annually in the country.
In its efforts to control AIDS, Myanmar formed the state-level Anti-AIDS Committee in 1989 and has been fighting the pandemic as a national movement since then. A coordination body comprising the ministries, United Nations agencies and social organizations at home and abroad was also established to step up the fight.