Risk of AIDS exposure to the public increased- Dr Jamsheed

Minister of Health Dr Ahmed Jamsheed Mohamed has said that the risk of AIDS exposure to the public has increased with the increase of injecting drug users who may share contaminated needles. The Minister said that a person who has been infected in that manner have been found in the Maldives recently.

Speaking to the media, Minister Dr Jamsheed said that there is fear of an AIDS epidemic among such drug users and others because of this. He said that by the grace of Allah, compared to many countries in the region, Maldives has a low prevalence of the disease. He stressed that if the causes for the spread of AIDS is present then the chance of an epidemic is high.

Dr Jamsheed said that AIDS is not only spread sexually but also there are other causes. He uncersocred the importance of taking preventive measures against the spread of the disease. He said that those who are visiting brothels should take heed that they are risking their lives and the lives of their families and should stop taking this risk immediately.

“A foreign prostitute had AIDS was deported in the year 2007. This same woman was again back in Maldives in the year 2009. This is something that those who visit such brothels should think about,” he said.

The Minister highlighted the importance of Islamic education to children. However he said that it alone is not a solution to this problem.