Nepali gov't to upgrade AIDS preventive measures

August 27, 2009

KATHMANDU, Aug. 27 (Xinhua) -- Nepali Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal said

that the government would increase resources and speed up actions for

preventing, treating and controlling HIV/AIDS in the country, state-run daily

The Rising Nepal reported on Thursday.

" It is necessary to mount the attempts for prevention, treatment and control of

HIV/AIDS and the government will fulfill its every responsibility by increasing

resources and taking up measures to this end, " Prime Minister M.K. Nepal said

addressing the second meeting of the National AIDS Council in Nepali capital

Kathmandu.

The Prime Minister, who is also the chairman of the Council, said, " I am sad

that this meeting is taking place after seven years and surprised to hear that

it has taken more than a year to prepare the draft of HIV/AIDS Act. " The meeting

took place after seven years' gap.

He said that after he assumed the office he asked the secretaries to provide him

details which committees he headed and was patron of. " When I learnt that the

Council's meeting had not taken place for seven years, I instructed one to be

held immediately, " Prime Minister Nepal said.

The Prime Minister also instructed all the ministers to hold meeting of all the

government agencies that they headed and take necessary steps for making them

effective.

Nepal termed the issue of HIV/AIDS as an important development agenda.

" We are committed to fulfill the responsibility of the state in responding to

HIV/AIDS and we urge all the other organizations working in the field to

increase their resources and activities, " Nepal said urging the international

community for their increased attention.

The Prime Minister urged all the government agencies working in the field of

HIV/AIDS including National Center for HIV/AIDS and STD Control (NCASC) to be

effective.

Dr. Laxmi Raj Pathak, director of NCAS, presented a report highlighting the

activities of the Center and a picture of HIV/AIDS status in Nepal.

He said that so far 70,000 people were estimated to have been infected with the

disease and that there were 200 VCT sites, 23 ART sites and 17 PMTCT sites for

treating, caring and preventing the transmission of the disease.

He said that the most risky places for the disease were the districts along the

East-West highway in southern Nepal bordering India.

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