AHF in Nepal : 2008

Kathmandu: NEPAL January 3 2008

Greetings from AHF Nepal Cares!

You will notice that my salutation says “AHF Nepal Cares” and that was no mistake – for we are here now officially recognized by the Government of Nepal. Today, the 3^rd of January 2008 – AHF and the Government of Nepal officially signed an agreement at the Social Welfare Council, Samaj Sewa Bhawan, Lainchour, Kathmandu, Government of Nepal to establish just that – a new beginning in this Himalayan Country. This landmark agreement was signed by Shri Manarup Shahi Neptune representing the Government of Nepal and Dr Chinkholal Thangsing AHF Chief, Asia Pacific Bureau representing Shri Michael Weinstein – President, AHF. The brief ceremony started at 1:30 PM was attended by Director Raju Joshi and other officials from the government and leaders from HIVAIDS NGOs in Nepal. Mr Jagdish, Mr Bijay from Youth Vision, Prem Limbu from Recovery Nepal and other representatives from the leading NGOs witnessed the official signing ceremony.

AHF today is an official International NGO recognized to operate in Nepal and the First INGO permitted and approved to sign this MOU in 2008. The officials welcomed the occasion and express their appreciation and AHF mission that reached out to community. “It is an auspicious beginning for Nepal in 2008 and AHF is a boon for the PLHAS in Nepal” said the Director present at the ceremony, which was heartily endorsed by nods from the NGO/Civil society members present.

I wanted to thank the strong support and assistance from numerous organizations and the leadership of the Coalition of HIVAIDS NGOS in Nepal which was set up under the aegis of AHF in 2007. I also would personally like to thank the unwavering support from Prem Limbu, Jagdish, Bijay, Sunil and host of dynamic, fierce yet compassionate HIVAIDS networks their support, the Secretary of Health, MOH for expediting the same. Many thanks to Michael, Henry for the unlimited support and Tom Myers and Laura Boudreau of Legal Department for all legal related advice and inputs.

Well, on the third day of the first month of January 2008 we established and added another country for AHF to spread its mission of providing cutting edge medicine and advocacy. Nepal is now the 6^th country where AHF has life saving programs in the Asia Pacific Region. Definitely the product; the outcome/off spring of the team work with crucial local community support. We are indeed proceeding in the path of being Bigger, Better and Faster – 2008 and beyond.

Committed to saving lives, the AHF way -

Lal and our friends in Nepal,

Kathmandu

Note:

AHF Nepal Cares will assist the Nepal Government, National Center for HIVAIDS and STD Control the apex body for AIDS control in Nepal and the HIVAIDS organization to expand care and treatment services to people living with HIVAIDS in Nepal. AHF will help expand the roll out and scale up of HIVAIDS care and treatment support services and aid in technical training and building of the capacity of healthcare personnel.More than 120,000 people are estimated to be living with HIVAIDS in Nepal and over 9000 people with AIDS and in dire need of life saving care and treatment without which they are likely to perish in a few years.
The first case of HIVAIDS in Nepal was detected in the year 1988. The number of HIV infection rapidly increases each year mainly among the age group of 15 to 49 years. The main mode of transmission is the heterosexual route of transmission. The current estimated number of people infected with HIV stands at 70000 with an estimated 3000 AIDS death annually. The estimated HIV cases by risk group in Nepal is as follows; IDU 9%, MSM 3.6%, Sex workers 1.6 %, Clients of sex workers 19.4%, HIV among the migrant laborers 46%; urban female of low risk population 2.7%, rural female low risk population 17.5%.There are 29 HIVAIDS services sites that offers VCT services, PMTCT services and 11 ART centers currently managed under the aegis of the National Center for HIVAIDS and STD Control, Teku, Kathmandu and involvement of some NGO’s. The Nepal government has targeted to support ART services for 3000 AIDS patients yearly.The country has 3 CD4 machines and out of which only is functional that operates once a month till the recent past. Today, with the increasing demand for CD4 testing the number of days for CD4 testing has been increase to once a week – on Wednesday’s conducting test for 50 clients only.