The HIV/AIDS/STD Situation and the National Response in Nepal

Please find below a summary of the 2003 country profile jointly published by the UN Theme Group on HIV/AIDS and the NCASC.

You may download the entire document in PDF format from the United Nations system in Nepal website at www.un.org.np

HIV/AIDS in Nepal

The first cases of AIDS were reported in Nepal in 1988. Surveillance data is scarce in Nepal; however, available data indicate that the HIV prevalence currently is around 0.3 percent in the general population.

As of December 2002, the Ministry of Health (MoH) has reported 624 cases of AIDS and 2,598 HIV infections. Given the existing medical and public and health infrastructure in Nepal and the lack of continuity in national HIV/AIDS surveillance systems, it is very likely that the actual number of cases is many times higher.

Compared with other countries in Asia and the world, available epidemiological data suggests that Nepal has a low prevalence of HIV among the general population. However, the currently seen low prevalence among the general population masks an increasing prevalence in several groups, and new epidemiological data suggests that HIV may be increasing more rapidly than expected in certain sub-groups. In fact, it is now apparent that Nepal has entered the stage of a "concentrated epidemic" , i.e. the HIV/AIDS prevalence consistently exceeds 5% in one or more sub-groups. These include injecting drug users nationwide, female sex workers in urban areas, and returning sex workers from India.

Latest Projections

Behavioural and seroprevalence data indicate the high potential for a generalized epidemic in Nepal. In the absence of effective interventions, even a “low to moderate growth scenario” would make AIDS the leading cause of death in the 15-49 year old population over the coming years .

For Nepal this would mean that around 100,000 – 200,000 young adults will become infected and that overall 10,000 – 15,000 annual AIDS cases and deaths may be expected.

Download the latest HIV projections for Nepal here.

Nepal HIV projection

Issues facing the Response in Nepal

As the development of the epidemic was rapidly changing in the last three years, neither the public sector, nor communities were prepared to address the needs of marginalized and stigmatized groups, whose access to services and information was already restricted. Denial of the seriousness of the epidemic is till common, and recent data* show a very low level of HIV awareness and risk perception, especially among women. Moreover, the social environment needed for successful interventions is far from supportive. Common reactions include stigmatization and exclusion, which inhibit effective targeted risk and harm reduction interventions.

Main issues, which need to be addressed, are:

- Competing development priorities.

- Weak multisectoral involvement.

- Gender inequality and related vulnerability to HIV/AIDS.

- Scattered interventions with low coverage.

- Significant gaps in research particularly relating to the sexual behaviour/cultures of labour migrants and construction of gender roles among Nepalis.