Baglung, August 5 :

Data at the District Public Health Office, Baglung, has indicated that the number of HIV positive persons has been increasing at an alarming rate for the past five years in the district.

Of 2,500 blood samples tested during the fiscal year 2005-06, 30 tested positive for HIV while in 2004-05 seven of the 200 samples tested HIV positive, DPHO records reveal.

Unsafe sex, transfusion of infected blood and sharing of syringes by intravenous drug users and mother to child transmission are the main causes of increase in HIV positive persons, Public Health Officer Ramji Baniya said.

“Despite several attempts by the government and the non-governmental organisations to create awareness on the disease, number of new HIV positive persons is on the rise.

The DPHO distributes condoms, organises awareness programmes like street dramas on HIV/AIDS in rural region and also provides counselling to the schoolchildren to prevent HIV/AIDS,” officer Baniya said.