World AIDS Day being marked today

KATHMANDU: The 37th World AIDS Day is being marked by organizing public awareness programmes across the country today. The theme of the Day for this year is: ‘Take the right path: My health, my right!’

The public awareness programmes are being organized at the initiative of the National AIDS and Sexual Disease Control Centre. Director at the Centre, Dr Sarbesh Sharma, informed that the HIV transmission declined by 91 percent by 2023.

Since 2010, HIV transmission has declined by 39 percent. Similarly, the death caused by this disease also decreased by half.

However, Afghanistan, Egypt, Fiji, Philippines, Saudi Arabia and Papua New Guinea witnessed HIV transmission by 100 percent from 2010 to 2023.

Nepal is one of the countries declining HIV spread by 75 percent. Similar success was achieved in Kenya, Malawi and Zimbabwe, the Centre added.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) stated, “Ending AIDS requires that we prioritize and reach everyone who is living with, at risk for or affected by HIV, including men who have sex with men, transgender people, people who inject drugs, sex workers, and people in prisons and other closed settings, as well as their partners.”