Overview of HIV / AIDS in Nepal

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) has become a global crisis challenging the humanity of our time. Further, the crisis is projected to get worse turning into a catastrophe. This epidemic transcends geographical, gender, racial, ethnic as well as economic barriers, and thus, Nepal remains no exception. Health experts have projected that it will become a leading cause of death over the coming years. During the early 1990s Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) seroprevalence surveys detected HIV infections among sexually transmitted infection (STI) patients and female sex workers throughout most regions in Nepal. The 2003 estimate of UNAIDS states that there are as many as 61,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in Nepal. Further, a study done by New Era (2002) states that 40.4 percent of intravenous drug users (IDUs) in Nepal are HIV positive. An estimated number of 3,000 adult and child deaths have been attributed to HIV/AIDS in 2002. However, well-researched, concrete and consistent data is yet to be determined. With the lack of such solid data, those living with HIV/AIDS are believed to be much higher than the estimate.

With the increased rate of migration, trafficking within and across the country, child labor and injecting drug users, the HIV/AIDS rate will only go up. Those who are at higher risk comprise migrants, child labors, the younger population in general, intravenous drug users, and unborn child of infected mothers. Unprotected sex, use of intravenous unsterilized injections, and mother to child infections have been the important risk factors. But the major mode of transmission remains sexual intercourse. In most cases, the HIV epidemic is driven by the behaviors such as unprotected sex, use of unsterile injectibles, and stigmatizing and condemning the infected puts individuals at higher risks. Therefore, raising awareness on HIV/AIDS and clarifying the misconceptions are an effective tool toward prevention. Moreover, it is also vital to break down the stigmas and misconceptions associated with HIV/AIDS so that effective treatment of HIV-positive persons can be carried out in a manner that ensures their basic human rights.

Goals of WOREC's HIV / AIDS programs

The overall goal of the project is to prevent trafficking and HIV/AIDS in the communities.

The specific goals include:

• To facilitate the formation youth groups in the target districts
• To provide a series of trainings to the groups formed on trafficking, HIV/AIDS, STDs, violence against women, migration, peace initiative, sustainable livelihood
• Encourage youth to develop relevant innovative projects in the community and provide the necessary support in executing them
• To set up information booths on HIV/AIDS, trafficking, migration and other relevant reference materials in two major borders of Nepal, Janakpur and Biratnagar
• To establish networks with other national and international organizations working on HIV/AIDS

HIV / AIDS prevention activities

• Formation of 45 youth groups each in Dhanusha and Rupandehi.
• Series of trainings to the staffs, youth trainers and women's group, and mobilize them in order to disseminate the knowledge.
• Facilitate the empowerment of the youth, women and children from a right-based approach.
• Strengthen and enhance the capacity of the information booths to prevent trafficking and HIV/AIDS.
• Hold workshop on regular basis bringing together the participants to share the experience, learn from each other, interact, and work together.
• Facilitate and provide technical support for awareness raising campaigns such as street drama, mass gathering, peer education and local assemblies.
• Publish educational materials, documents, brochures and posters to make them available at target districts as well as other places.
• Lobby at different government levels to bring further attention and resources toward preventing HIV/AIDS and trafficking.