64,000 people infected with HIV in Nepal

KATHMANDU, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- It is estimated that 64,000 people are infected with HIV in Nepal and 16,637 among them are living with HIV/AIDS.

This was told at an interaction on media sensitization on the issues of HIV/AIDS organized by Nepal HIV/AIDS Alliance (NEHA) here Monday.

The participants said that sex workers, injecting drug users, male having sex with male, third gender, migrant workers and their families and prisoners are the most risk population group of HIV.

According to UNAIDS 2009 report, 4.9 million people are living with AIDS in Asia and among them 160,000 are children.

Rishi Raj Ojha, chief of NEHA, said that there a safe tourism program will be launched to control HIV transmission from tourists visiting Nepal in "Nepal Tourism Year 2011".

President of Jagriti Women Association Bijaya Dhakal said there are 30,000 registered female sex workers in Nepal. Most of the women from the high class family do not want to come to register their profession, she said.

source: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/health/2010-12/27/c_13666620.htm