A shocking bit of news has made headlines. Ward no 6 of Godavari VDC in Kailali reportedly harbours 30 HIV/AIDS infected people, and the VDC is home to some 60 patients — 20 Dalit women, 13 children, seven males and 27 non-Dalits. Most of the infections have been caused by the migrant labourers in India who have returned home with HIV/AIDS.

The bleak situation in Godavari VDC is just the tip of the iceberg of the increasing HIV/AIDS prevalence among the populace. UNAIDS estimates that there are around 75,000 HIV/AIDS infected people in Nepal. The actual number might be much higher. More troublesome is the fact that only 27.5% of migrant labourers are availed of any kind of HIV preventive services. There is no harmonisation of plans among major donors concerning HIV/AIDS prevention; the absence of a national coordinating body to pool together resources has had a telling effect. Poor public health infrastructure and fear of stigma have also posed as great challenges to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS. There is an urgent need to identify major HIV/AIDS clusters around the country and introduce proper preventive measures in the identified areas. The country should not be allowed to turn into another South Africa where years of denial and lack of political leadership in combating HIV/AIDS has shaken the very foundations of the country with a quarter of its population infected.