Abstract
The main objective of this study is to review the HIV/AIDS status and trend in Nepal. The design of the study was retrospective in nature. Review was made of published and unpublished documents during the period 1988 to 2004. Year-wise data indicates that the cases of HIV/AIDS have been increased sharply since mid 1990s. In 1992, more than double numbers of new cases were reported than the formerly reported cumulative cases. The latest cumulative HIV/AIDS cases as of May 2004 were reported as 747 cases of AIDS and 3765 cases of HIV infections. Among total HIV/AIDS cases, clients of sex workers (57.8 percent) were predominant followed by sex workers (13.9 percent) and injecting drug users (15.6 percent). Similarly, others included housewives (10.6 percent), children (1.8 percent) from vertical transmission and blood or organ recipients (0.2 percent). Male cases (73.0 percent) were found predominant than female cases (27.0 percent). HIV prevalence among risk group population was found highest in injecting drug users (38.4 percent) followed by Female Sex Workers (4.1 percent) and migrants (3.0 percent). The risk population and HIV/AIDS prevalence has been found sharply increasing after mid 1990s. The increasing trend of the disease certainly has given pressure to focus on the use of comprehensive targeted intervention programs in risk group sub-populations.Key Words: HIV/AIDS, Trend, Risk populations, Prevalence.
Highlights
Only a small number of HIV infections are estimated to have occurred during the late 1970s and early 1980s
The latest cumulative HIV/ AIDS cases as of May 2004 were reported as 747 cases of AIDS and 3765 cases of HIV infections (Table I)
Among total HIV/AIDS cases, clients of sex workers (57.8 percent) were predominant followed by injecting drug users (15.6 percent) and sex workers (13.9 percent)
Summary
Only a small number of HIV infections are estimated to have occurred during the late 1970s and early 1980s. During the 1990s, HIV prevalence increased remarkably in subSaharan Africa. The HIV/AIDS epidemic is spreading rapidly in all South Asian countries. Over 4 million estimated HIV infections are existing within the region and about 13,000 AIDS cases have been reported by the year 2000.1 The first case of AIDS in Nepal was reported in 1988. By mid 1990s, Nepal has entered the 'concentrated epidemic' stage with consistent HIV prevalence in Female Sex Workers (FSWs), Injecting Drug Users (IDUs) and migrants. Risk behaviors are wide spread among female sex workers, their clients, injecting drug users, labor migrants and youth.[4,5,6]
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