HIV infection is on the rise among people in the country's northern border with China's Yunnan province because of sexual promiscuity and drugs, according to figures released by the border-based ethnic Kachin rebel group today on World Aids Day.
The Laiza-based Kachin Independence Organization (KIO)'s Health Department have found people in its territory and along the China border are being infected by HIV because of unprotected sex and intravenous drug use, said KIO's health officials.
KIO's Heath Department statistics reveal that 1,427 people have been detected with HIV this year which is marginally less than last year’s figure of 1,467.
Among them, 271 HIV positive cases were Kachins in 2008. This year 437 Kachin nationals were found to be HIV positive, added KIO's health officials.
These figures were obtained following blood examination of patients, who came to hospitals and clinics in the KIO controlled areas of Laiza, Mai Ja Yang and other areas along the China border, said N'Hpang Naw Bu, deputy in-charge of the KIO's Health Department today.
Naw Bu said, there is an appalling rise in promiscuity and drug addiction such as opium, heroin and amphetamine, locally called Yama among young people in the Kachin community. These are the main causes of HIV infection among Kachin people, he added.
Currently, the KIO jointly operates special health clinics in Laiza and Mai Ja Yang with London-based Health Unlimited (HU) opening an office in Kunming in China's Yunnan province. HIV positive cases and AIDS patients are especially taken care of in the clinics, said KIO officers.
Special prevention and education functions on World Aids Day were observed in the main cities of KIO--- Laiza and Mai Ja Yang, with early morning march past by people creating awareness against HIV/AIDS, through sports events and posters in the controlled areas, said KIO sources.
Hundreds of civilians and hundreds of men and women of the KIO and its armed-wing the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) joined the functions in the two places, local participants said.
KIO officers in Laiza said all international, national and local NGOs based in Burma are banned from working in KIO's territory.
Other international NGOs based in Kachin State's Myitkyina like Holland NGO Artsen Zonder Grenzen (AZG or MSF) and French NGO Medicine du Monde (MDM) are also into HIV/AIDS education and prevention activities in the cities authorized by the ruling junta such as Myitkyina, Bhamo, Waingmaw and Mogaung, said sources.
Under monitoring of security agents, the two NGOs are freely distributing regular rations and Anti-retroviral Therapy (ART) tablets to AIDS patients, condoms to commercial sex workers and disposable-syringes to intravenous drug users.
World Aids Day was marked with myriad activities in Myitkyina, which were conducted by NGOs and Kachin youth leaders under the Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC).
