Bangladesh on High Alert: HIV Infections and Deaths Rising Fast

HIV cases and deaths are rising in Bangladesh. Find out why HIV is dangerous, how it spreads, and what India can do to prevent it.

Bangladesh on High Alert as HIV Deaths Surge: Experts Warn HIV Can Spread in Multiple Ways

At a time when much of the global community is rejoicing in the sharp decline in cases of infection and death due to HIV (known as AIDS), Bangladesh is heading in the opposite direction. Recent data from health authorities reveals a steady rise in recently contracted HIV cases and deaths, which in turn has led to worries that public health facilities around it would get overburdened by the epidemic. Experts say if immediate action is not taken, then the gains that have been made over the past two decades will soon be washed away.

The situation is not only alarming in Bangladesh but also in its neighbours like India, where eco fabrication is also on the rise. Given geographical proximity, socio-economic ties and movement among people across borders, India is maintaining a watchful stance to try and avoid a similar surge, feel public health experts.

HIV Cases Are Rising In Bangladesh

According to the Directorate General of Health Services or DGHS, Bangladesh has discovered 1,438 new cases of HIV and 326 deaths in 2024, in comparison with 1276 cases and 266 deaths in 2023.

The more alarming situation is that already by February 2025, amid alarming 882 cases of HIV in Bangladesh were found positive, nevertheless. However, the real number is likely to be much higher, with almost a quarter of those with HIV still not diagnosed.

A government HIV-prevention programme that was devised to mainly address the high unmet need for HIV protection was abruptly terminated a year ago, along with key services such as condom distribution, needle exchange services, and key population outreach, which contributed nearly half the HIV infections in Bengal in 2024.

What is HIV And What’s Dangerous?

HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is a virus that attacks the immune system of the human body, thereby affecting the body’s ability to beat back infections and disease. If left untreated, HIV progresses into AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome), the deadly stage when even simple infections are deadly.

How India Is Impacted By HIV

India has the largest number of HIV-infected cases in the world, and there are almost 2.4 million HIV-positive people in India:

So many avoid getting tested out of fear of discrimination.
“High-risk groups – including sex workers, men having sex with men, transgender people, and people who inject drugs – have had a hard time accessing healthcare.
Lack of funding: Prevention and awareness programs are not properly funded, which limits their reach and impact.

In India, the experience in Bangladesh on the superiority of a tide is a signal to the Indian border states, where people can cross the border, making India more vulnerable to transmissions.

Why HIV Testing Is Crucial

All of this is important, and the numbers in Bangladesh have increased to highlight one of the most important principles of diseases – that the more you look, the more you’ll find. Without testing, the virus is spreading like wildfire, and people don’t even know it. In India, on the other hand, it is a matter of raising the testing coverage necessary.

Early detection = better outcome from treatment.
Antiretroviral therapy (ART) provides HIV positive people with the opportunity to live long and healthy lives.
Information regarding HIV status dramatically reduces further HIV transmission.

The Global Fight Against HIV

Globally, HIV has decreased by 40% since 2010 and more than 50% of deaths related to its infection. But Bangladesh’s figures are a reminder of just how fragile progress can be. Prevention programs do not have the capacity to absorb budget volatility resulting from no long-term funding.

Concerned by the ongoing growing rates of HIV infection, India’s government, AIDS control unit and UNAIDS are asking India to guarantee the necessary continuity, scale and consistency of investment, improved public awareness and anti-stigma access to care.