State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Zahid Malek today said the International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP) will make a significant contribution to the efforts to prevent AIDS and HIV in the country.

The minister was speaking at a press conference at the ministry organized on the occasion of 12th ICAAP conference to be held on March 12-16, at International Convention City, Basundhara (ICCB).

This year's theme of the conference is "Be the Change for an AIDS Free Generation, Our Right to Health."

Malek said, "ICAAP12 is an opportunity to eradicate HIV virus by strengthening the local capacity by working with foreign delegates and engaging them in the regional networks through adequate representations and experiences."

"Through its early interventions among vulnerable populations, the prevalence of HIV is low in Bangladesh," the state minister said.

"The government is committed to ensure low prevalence of AIDS and HIV in the country and to end the diseases by 2030" he added. 

The International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP) is the largest forum on AIDS held in the Asia and the Pacific region. Since the first ICAAP was held in 1990 -- almost 25 years ago -- the ICAAP has played a critical role in raising public awareness, building political commitment, strengthening advocacy networks and disseminating knowledge and experiences on HIV issues among stakeholders in the region.

Source: BSS.