HEALTH

HIV/AIDS in Nepal

HIV/AIDS in Nepal

Introduction

Human Immunodeficiency Virus also known as HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. HIV is a disease that attacks the immune system specifically targeting CD4 cells or T cells. HIV makes you more susceptible to certain types of cancers and infections that our bodies would normally resist such as pneumonia and meningitis (The Mayo Clinic, 2010). Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome is a global epidemic. There is an estimated 39.5 million people living with the virus today (The Mayo Clinic, 2010). Approximately 2.0 million people died from aid in 2008 (WHO, 2010). AIDS is developed in the final stage of the HIV infection.

A person can live symptom free with the HIV infection for an extended period of time. Years may go by before the virus is even detected. To move from an HIV-positive diagnosis to an AIDS diagnosis, one must have one of 23 indicator diseases and have a T4 (or CD4) cell count of less than 200 (Zelman, 2006). A normal count ranges from 800 to 1,200 (The Mayo Clinic, 2008).

HIV is a very delicate virus. This virus will not last long outside the body. Because of this fact, the HIV infection cannot be transmitted through daily activities like greeting by shaking hands, hugging an infected person, or even through kissing. This disease is transmitted via contaminated body fluids including blood, semen, and vaginal secretions (Tompary, 2006). HIV is also transmitted through sexual intercourse (anal, vaginal, or oral) or by the use of intravenous drugs. Babies exposed to the virus during birth or through breast milk are also at risk.

Discussion

Discuss strategies to prevent mothers and children becoming infected with HIV in Nepal.

Strategies to prevent HIV transmission from mothers to children can help in reducing rates of transmission around 92%. Programs should be designed to meet this challenging targets, it should involve the use of combine antiviral during pregnancy and after infant is born, moreover, an awareness about the bottle feeding instead of breastfeeding can help in preventing HIV in Nepal among children. If replacement feeding is feasible, affordable, acceptable and sustainable than it should be utilized. On the other hand safe mothers should give breast feeding during initial of child life. Use antiviral during pregnancy can stop the transmission of HIV to children, whereas mothers can save themselves from this disease with proper protection, it is important to raise awareness in Nepal about the safe sex, it can help in overcoming HIV among mothers. If, breast feeding carried out extended provision of antiretroviral prophylaxis to new born can reduce the transmission risk.

Mother to child transmission takes place when HIV virus passes to baby from the infected mother, it can take place during labour, delivery and pregnancy. It is important to keep treatment of women for overcoming the disease. UNAIDS have introduced a new global plan for eliminating the new infections among children it can help in reducing HIV and keeping mothers alive, if Nepal implement this program it can help in overcoming disease among Nepalese mothers and ...