by Feng Yingqiu
YANGON, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar official newspaper the New Light of Myanmar Monday called on the country's people to fight AIDS with national awareness, urging individuals and social organizations including community-based groups to work hard to enhance public awareness of AIDS.
The paper made the call in its editorial on the occasion of the falling of the World AIDS Day on Monday, which was designated by the United Nations.
The editorial stressed the paramount duty of all the national people to fight against the scourge of the disease in accord with the slogan of this year --"Stop AIDS, Keep the Promise, Scaling up prevention, treatment and care".
According to a latest report of the UNAIDS, the number of people infected with HIV in Myanmar dropped to 240,000 in 2007 from 300,000 in 2001.
The report attributed the fact to the fall in number of HIV-infected pregnant women.
The report revealed that 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.
Official media reported earlier that the infection rate of HIV in Myanmar declined to 0.67 percent in 2007 from 0.94 percent in 2000.
The figures were based on the findings from a HIV/AIDS projection and impact analysis workshop organization by the Myanmar government and the World Health Organization in September last year.
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.
In its efforts to control AIDS, the Central Committee for Control and Elimination of AIDS was formed in 1989. A coordination body comprising the ministries, United Nations agencies and social organizations at home and abroad was also established.
As part of the project for control of 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.
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,
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, Myanmar is also cooperating with neighboring countries to combat and control TB and HIV/AIDS 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.
