World AIDS Day 2023, Let Communities Lead
It is important to end the inequalities that prevent the end of the AIDS epidemic. And we all need to believe that we can overcome those inequalities. This World AIDS Day, 1 December, UNAIDS is calling on all of us to stop AIDS by addressing inequalities. This year's slogan is LET COMMUNITIES LEAD! The theme for World AIDS Day 2023 is 'Let communities lead', highlighting the important impact that communities have in shaping the HIV response and global health. Public awareness about HIV AIDS World AIDS Day calls us firstly to talk about sexual health and reproductive rights and reproductive health, holding different banners with red ribbons, signs and promotional materials and organizing various rallies, gatherings, seminars about HIV AIDS.
Public awareness is spread. HIV and AIDS are two different things, HIV is a virus that causes AIDS. HIV is now seen as an infection rather than a disease throughout the world. Not all HIV-infected people develop AIDS. Today, HIV infected people are getting assurance of easy and long life like others by regular consumption of okhati which is available free of cost in various government health institutions and adopting a healthy lifestyle. How is AIDS transmitted? The rumor that HIV is transmitted by laughing, talking, sharing food with an HIV-infected person and using the same cloth is just an illusion. If infected blood is donated or received, if the needle used by an infected person is used to pierce the skin, and children born from an infected mother are likely to be infected. HIV in Nepal The first infection of HIV in Nepal was seen in 1988. One is sexual activity.
HIV-infected people in Nepal used to stay hidden for a long time but did not go to treatment and counseling facilities due to the infection caused by the very narrow society and unsafe sexual practices. After it became known in the society, many examples of HIV-infected people facing painful and animalistic contempt can still be heard in the society. Today, on World AIDS Day, a lamp is also lit for the eternal peace of the souls of all those who have died due to HIV infection. Migration and AIDS infection in Nepal The open borders of Nepal and India and the influx of Nepali youths who go to India and abroad for seasonal work, and those youths could not be informed about sexually transmitted infections and HIV, they used to engage in such risky sexual activities. HIV infection in the blood on return. 
The Jamaat who returned with it used to unknowingly transfer this infection to their wives. Many HIV-infected children born after that are still among us in the society today. Most of them are orphans and their proper education and easy living is still not ensured, so on this day i.e. World AIDS Day, more advocacy and solidarity towards effective positive steps is necessary. Three Zero When it comes to HIV, the concept of three zeros, i.e. three zeros, is very famous all over the world: the first zero is to reduce the death rate of HIV infected people to zero, the second zero is to reduce the new HIV infection rate to zero, and the third is the determination to reduce the discrimination rate against HIV infected to zero. Until a decade ago, HIV was an epidemic in Nepal.
This is an infection that can happen to anyone. Gradually, due to the support and investment of governmental and non-governmental organizations, HIV knowledge and public awareness among Nepalis are increasing, and HIV has become a concentrated epidemic today. This means that only certain groups are likely to be infected and that less than 1 percent of the total population is affected by the epidemic. 1. Workers and their families who go abroad during foreign employment 2. Men having physical contact with men 3. People who inject drugs 4. There are female sex workers and their clients who engage in unprotected sex. In order to reduce issues related to HIV and its multidimensional impact, the Government of Nepal has established a National AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases Center to work specifically on HIV and Sexually Transmitted Diseases issues.
Most of the district hospitals and other health centers have made it possible for infected people to get ARV vaccine free of charge. For a safe sex life, condoms are available in every health post and Okhti shop, but slowly there is an open discussion about sex, reproductive health, rights and sexually transmitted infections. Teaching about sexually transmitted infections and HIV in the school curriculum will make future generations aware of such risky activities in time. As today is a day to spread a lot of information about HIV, let's present this important information through our calendar, let's all stay safe from sexually transmitted infections. -Suyog Dhakal for our calendar Calendar HEALTH Health problems with climate change HEALTH.
