Himalayan News Service

Pokhara, March 12:

Of the total of 60,000 persons who are HIV positive, 4,680 are said to have AIDS, according to a study report. This information was given at a programme organised by the AIDS Control Association (ACA), Kaski, here today. Health officer of the West-regional Public Health Office, Pokhara, Dilliram Baral said that by the end of 2004 there were 3,406 males and 1,177 females who had AIDS, while 87 more AIDS cases were reported this January. He said that 596 of the women got the disease from their husbands, with 16 of them getting it only this January. Most of the persons suffering from AIDS is in the age group of 20-24 years, Baral said while pointing out that the number of HIV/AIDS patients is increasing by the day mostly due to unsafe sexual practices and use of harmful drugs.

Somlal Ojha, coordinator of Naulo Ghumti, Pokhara, said 90 per cent of HIV positive persons comprise injecting drug users, while the remaining 10 per cent have been infected sexually.

Twenty-two per cent of the drug abusers in Pokhara are HIV/AIDS positive, which means 350 youngsters, he said. Ojha further said that injecting drugs has become very popular with over 100 Pokhareli youth practising it, which he said was a very trend as it is one of the most common ways to be infected with HIV. Quoting a report published last year, he said that the number of businessmen and high-level government offices having illicit relations with sex workers was quite high. Chairman of Naulo Ghumti Prem Bahadur Shrestha said it was the guardians’ and society’s responsibility to check the youth from taking drugs. He said that many parents hide the truth about their children being HIV/AIDS positive even after getting to know about it. Ama Samuh, a local NGO involved in checking trafficking of girls, said that even if they are handed over the police, drug abusers are released due to some complexity in taking action against them.