HIV/AIDS case increasing in SL due to more testing, better awareness
View(s):While Sri Lanka is still a low prevalence country in the spread of HIV/AIDS, the rate of growth in the number of cases is increasing, voluntary groups said on Monday.
With the increase in tourists and migrant workers, such a situation is bound to arise and Sri Lanka cannot be complacent, said Anirvan Ghosh Dastidar, outgoing chair of the Lanka Business Coalition on HIV and AIDS (LBCH), speaking at its AGM held in Colombo on Monday.
The coalition which began 10 years ago brings together leading local corporates in the battle against HIV/AIDS which has taken the lives of millions across the world.
Nadijah Tambiah, new chair of the grouping, said the number of cases in Sri Lanka is increasing while there is a decrease in other parts of the world and urged more awareness in workplaces and the community.
She said workplace policies among LBCH members include non-discrimination against affected persons and testing facilities.
Dr. K.A.M. Ariyaratne, Consultant Venereologist at the government’s National STD/AIDS Control Programme, said in a keynote address that the reason for the increase in the number of cases could be due to better awareness and more people coming forward for testing. Data reveals that last year, five children and the parents in one family alone were discovered having contracted the HIV virus.