By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Dec 1 : Thirty HIV/AIDs infected people are found to be infected with COVID-19 in Nepal. At a programme organised by the National Centre for AIDS and STD Control under the Ministry of Health and Population on the occasion of the 33rd World AIDS Day, it was informed that all the COVID-19 infected patients have recovered.
The treatment of HIV infected has not been halted due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,
said Dr. Sudha Devkota, director at the Centre.
“The facility of sending medicines at the doorstep of the HIV infected was made during lockdown also,” she added.
The medicine ART was made available through the ART centre, she said and added that no service and treatment to HIV patients were obstructed during lockdown and ongoing pandemic.
Those HIV infected people who are not in regular medication and who have hide their disease are at the risk of COVID-19, said Dr. Devkota.
If you are HIV infected, you need to take precautions, but should not be worried of COVID-19,
she added.
According to the Centre, there are 17,587 male and 11,916 female infected with HIV/AIDS in Nepal.
Likewise, the prevalence rate of HIV-AIDS in Nepal has come down to 0.13 per cent this year from 0.15 per cent in 2019.
According to the Centre, the prevalence rate was 0.55 per cent a decade ago.
It has been found that 80 per cent of HIV infected persons were found having unsafe sexual activities. HIV/AIDS is largely affecting injecting drug users, female sex workers and their clients, and men who have sex with men.
As per the data of the current fiscal year, only 66 per cent of HIV infected is receiving treatment.
According to the Centre Rs. 56.72 million has been allocated for AIDS and STDs control. Around 85 per cent of the budget has been invested in treatment and medicines.
Every year, 1st December is globally celebrated as World AIDS day to raise awareness on the deadly disease of HIV AIDS and the theme this year is, ‘Ending the HIV/AIDS Epidemic: Resilience and Impact.’ 
The day aims to support victims suffering from the disease, arranges many awareness and creation programs against HIV AIDS and helping patients to combat this disease.