Kathmandu: Nepal joins the global community today in observing the 37th World AIDS Day with the theme, “Take the rights path: My health, my right!” Public awareness events are being organized nationwide, spearheaded by the National AIDS and Sexual Disease Control Centre.

Dr. Sarbesh Sharma, Director of the Centre, highlighted significant progress in reducing HIV transmission, which has declined by 91% by 2023 in Nepal. Since 2010, the country has achieved a 39% reduction in new HIV cases and halved deaths associated with the disease. Nepal's 75% reduction in HIV spread aligns with achievements in Kenya, Malawi, and Zimbabwe.

However, some countries, including Afghanistan, Egypt, Fiji, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, and Papua New Guinea, have witnessed a doubling in HIV transmission over the same period, emphasizing the continued global challenge.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reaffirmed the need to prioritize at-risk populations, including men who have sex with men, transgender individuals, drug users, and those in closed settings like prisons. WHO stressed that reaching these groups is vital to ending the AIDS epidemic.