Kathmandu: Khagendra Khadka saw darkness all around him when he found out he was infected with HIV/AIDS some 26 years ago. On one hand, he was fearing societal shame while on the other hand, an overwhelming fear of death constantly hounded him. He contracted the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) resulting in Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) while doing drugs some 26 years ago, he confided.
According to National News Agency Nepal, Khadka recalls his five years of struggle to overcome drug addiction after his initial diagnosis. In 2063 BS, he finally broke free from narcotics addiction with the help of a rehabilitation center. Since then, he has been advocating for the rights and welfare of infected individuals, counseling them through his involvement in various social organizations. Khadka has many painful stories of stigmatization and discrimination due to being HIV-positive, including a harrowing tale of being mistreated by healthcare providers.
The troubling incident dates back 23 years when he
fractured one of his hands and was rushed to the hospital. After the medical report showed his infection, he recollected that healthcare providers sent him away, merely applying a bandage on his fractured hand instead of putting a plaster. As a result, one of his hands is still not in good condition. He, however, observed a significant shift in the attitude and treatment towards people living with HIV/AIDS then and now.
He noted, “The time I was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS is starkly different from now. In recent times, people living with HIV/AIDS might be facing stigma, but it is far less intense than it was in my time.” According to him, people living with HIV/AIDS can live an active life through regular medication, a healthy lifestyle, and a proper nutritious diet. Reflecting on his contributions to raising awareness and educating his family and society about staying safe from HIV/AIDS, he suggests that everyone should behave safely. “I have a wife and two kids. None of them are infected with HIV/AIDS,” he me
ntioned.
Khadka, who is also the President of the National Association of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nepal, admitted that positive thinking is a driving force for people living with HIV/AIDS. His organization works to improve the lives of those living with HIV/AIDS, as well as high-risk communities, through testing and preventing further infection. Similarly, Yashoda Timilsina has been advocating for infected individuals like herself and providing counseling to others since her infection was confirmed.
The 26-year-old young lady suggested, “Earlier, HIV/AIDS was considered fatal. That is not the case now. There is no need to fear and panic after being diagnosed with it because there are medicines that enable infected ones to live longer.” As per the statistics of the National AIDS and STI Control Centre, 30,300 people across the country were estimated to have been infected with HIV/AIDS as of the end of 2022, with 457 new infections reported in 2023.
It is estimated that 221 people succumbed to HIV/AID
S infection in 2023 alone. The high-risk communities identified in Nepal include narcotic drug abusers, sex workers, prisoners, male homosexuals, third genders, and Nepali migrant workers abroad, among others. For Nepal to meet the ambitious goal of ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030, the country aims to achieve the “95-95-95” strategy by 2030. This means at least 95 percent of infected individuals should know their HIV status, 95 percent of people living with HIV/AIDS should have access to medicines, and among those on medication, at least 95 percent should have a low viral load in their bodies.
World AIDS Day is observed on December 1 every year across the globe, including in Nepal, with various awareness programs. The theme for this year, the 37th World AIDS Day, is “Collective Action: Sustain and Accelerate HIV Progress.”