By V L Srinivasan
VL.Srinivasan@apexstuff.com
MUSCAT, Aug 11: Ministry of Health officials are a larmed by the number ofHIV/AIDS cases that have been reported in recent times. As many as 100 new HIV cases have been reported every year in the last decade. “Oman is categorised as a low prevalence country by the UNAIDS; we do not want to be complacent, which could worsen the situation in the country,” Dr Ali Ahmed Salim Baomer, head of the AIDS section in the Ministry of Health (MoH), told TheWeek.
According to MoH figures, the first ever HIV positive case in the country was detected in 1984. Currently, there are 1,119 Omani nationals living with HIV/AIDS,
while close to 500 have succumbed to the condition. But with the life expectancy of these patients set to increase due to better treatment now available for HIV/AIDS, it is expected that the number will swell in the coming years. Seventy-five per cent
of the cases reported are males.
Additionally, 100 new HIV/AIDS patients of other nationalities are reported every year. The ministry’s Orientation Document prepared for the ‘HIV/AIDS Social Communication Campaign’said young people are the most affected, with nearly half the cases – 47 per cent – being between the ages of 20 and 35, and 12.4 per cent affecting people under 20. Though sexual transmission is the most common mode of transmission, cases resulting from drug use are also of concern. The numbers are alarming for ministry officials because abstinence is the social norm in this
country and young unmarried men and women are expected to conform to it. It is risky behaviour among a section of the youngsters that has given risen to the current situation,officials believe.
Due to the strict vigil kept in blood banks – in both government and private hospitals – since 1994, not a single case of HIV/AIDS caused by blood transfusion has been reported. All cases reported are a result of unprotected sex, sharing
needles to inject drugs and mother-to-child transmission (MTCT).
The Orientation Document also stated the ministry’s concern over the level of awareness on HIV/AIDS prevention among the younger generation. While most secondary
school students – 98 per cent – said in a survey that they had heard about the condition, and over 90 per cent of them knew the modes of transmission, there were also numerous misconceptions. Fiftynine per cent of the adolescents surveyed said HIV/AIDS was transmitted by sharing utensils with a patient.
“To address these concerns, we launched the bilingual (Arabic and English)awareness campaign ‘Let’s Talk AIDS’ through mass media,” Dr Baomer said. The campaign is part
of the Oman National ResponseStrategy and Plan of Action launched in December 2007.
“But the biggest hurdle officials face in executing our plan are the cultural taboos. These prevent open discussion on sexual behaviour and drug abuse.”
The campaign includes presentations by celebrities and people living with HIV/AIDS to draw the attention youngsters to the problem. “We are also planning to involve nongovernmental organisations to supplement our efforts in spreading the message against drug addiction and for taking care of people infected with HIV/AIDS.”
But there aren’t many NGOs in Oman working in this field becauseof the taboos attached to it. One that i s here is the Youth Peer Education Network. “We are not only asking people to protect themselves from the disease but also fighting the
myths and misconceptions about it,” said Khamis Said Mohammed al Alawi, who leads the network's activitiesin Oman. “With Y-Peer already in the field, we are hopeful that more organisations will join the fight against the scourge of HIV/AIDS.”
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