“District level advocacy to create enabling environment (SDA 2.3)”

Despite the low HIV prevalence in Bangladesh, several risk factors, including geographical location, high population mobility, a large number of migrant workers, poverty, and low level of awareness among young people, threaten to hamper the continuing status of Bangladesh as a low HIV prevalence country. Considering the current HIV and AIDS situation in Bangladesh, there is a need for higher level advocacy among parliamentarians, different key ministries, law enforcement agencies, journalists, relevant professional bodies, program managers etc. at national, Divisional and District level on the issues of universal access, human rights, structural barriers, gender violence and harm reduction for HIV. This advocacy initiative will support and facilitate the implementation of different targeted interventions. In response to the national requirement, Save the Children in Bangladesh has been started direct implementation of SDA 2.3 of RCC phase II. Main objective in this project is to increase the knowledge of Law Enforcing Agencies and Health Administrations at District cities on HIV/AIDS, STI and country situation in order to get necessary support for HIV/AIDS national response in Bangladesh. AMIC is working in this Project as an implementing agency from April 2015.

The major objectives are:

• To Orient and update of the district administration, law enforcement agency, DNC, civil surgeon office and other stockholders about HIV and AIDS.
  • To develop understanding on Global and Bangladesh situation about HIV and AIDS
  • To develop understanding about the national goal “By 2015, minimize the spread of HIV and minimize the impact of AIDS on the individual, family, community, and society”
  • To explore the ways to make District AIDS Committee more functional in order to facilitate AIDS Response in District level.