What do you think can be done to change society’s perception?
I think the media plays a vital role in this matter. In the past, around six-seven years back, Nepali media covered several issues related to HIV/AIDS. There used to be advertisements in television and radio stations that kept people informed about HIV infection and its transmission. There are many people who have changed their perception towards the infected and one of the reasons is the advocacy through Nepali media. But now we don’t see that anymore and people fear being around anyone with HIV infection due to lack of information and awareness. Has Nepal been able to prevent HIV infection from a mother to her child during/after child birth? There are around 84 places in Nepal that follow the Prevention of Mother-To-Child Transmission (PMTCT) program. So there are hospitals in every part of Nepal that’s well equipped to deliver a child without transmitting the infection from the mother. The number of mother-to-child transmission has also been decreasing. But there is a problem. Many health professionals, especially in rural parts of Nepal, refer HIV infected pregnant women to other hospitals. Although these hospitals are well-equipped to handle the delivery, they try to avoid such cases out of fear of infection. Some also don’t sterilize all the equipment used during delivery. This is not only slowing the progress we expect from this program but also putting the lives of the mother and her child in danger. Nepal has set a national target to reach 95-95-95 testing and treatment target (that is 95 percent of people living with HIV know their HIV status, 95 percent among those who know their status initiate treatment, and 95 percent of those on treatment are virally suppressed) by 2030. What’s the progress so far? We are on track of achieving that goal. It’s estimated that Nepal has 30,000 people with HIV/AIDS, out of which 95 percent are aware of their HIV status. It’s the same with the treatment. Among the infected, 95 percent of them have initiated treatment for HIV. But we are lagging behind on knowing if the ones who have initiated treatment have their viral load (the amount of virus in an HIV infected person’s blood) in check. According to the recent data we have, only 67 percent of the ones getting treatment have been virally suppressed. But we still have seven more years and I believe it’s possible to meet the 95-95-95 target by 2030. Do you think the Nepal Government has been doing enough to meet this target? The number of people who continue their treatment is directly related to the society’s perspective towards the infected. Out of fear of being judged, many people avoid going to ART clinics or take medications. It’s been nearly nine years that we have been demanding the government to pass a bill that will protect the rights of HIV infected individuals. So no, the government has not been doing enough. Till now, they have given us free treatments and insurance policies for the infected and his/her family. Besides that, it’s mostly organizations like ours that have been working to meet the target. There are several things the government can do to encourage people to continue their treatment. For instance, the insurance policy that they provide has encouraged many people to get themselves tested. But we haven’t witnessed anything else besides that. I think the government needs to put more effort into finding new ways to push the infected to continue their treatment. That also includes passing the bill.
