Chitwan, February 17

The rate of HIV infections diagnosed in Chitwan has dropped of late with growing awareness among the public as the district recorded less than five dozen new cases last year.

According to AIDS Healthcare Foundation Nepal’s ART Centre-based in Bharatpur Hospital, only 57 out of 17,323 persons, whose blood samples were taken, tested positive for HIV. Of the new cases, 40 were men, 15 women and two children.

“The infection rate in the recent days has come down as people are more aware about preventive measures,” said Dr Unnat Shrestha of the centre. He also attributed the decline in HIV infections to growing use of contraceptives among the people.

In 2014, 87 HIV cases were reported. Of 9,183 persons whose blood samples were tested, 42 women, 38 men and seven children tested positive for HIV . Similarly, the number of HIV-infected cases in 2013 stood at 91.

According to the National Sexually Transmitted Disease and AIDS Control Centre, a total of 25,829 HIV cases have been registered so far. Of them, 10,407 are on medication.

A total of 1,266 HIV cases have been registered in Chitwan so far. Of them, 671 are men. Similarly, while 488 are women and 107 children.