HIV/AIDS Prevention in the Nepalese Context

Abstract

With their numbers now approaching almost 30 million, Nepalese feature importantly in the South Asian demography. Yet, it has been only 60 years since Nepal gained international recognition as a nation-state. Nepal at present is one of the world's poorest countries and is in dire need of development, especially in the area of health. Given the current civil instability coupled with rapid modernization, the health and well-being of the Nepalese people have been increasingly affected by newer threats, such as HIV/AIDS. The present study discusses the uniqueness of the Nepalese context in relation to HIV/AIDS prevention. The authors suggest that HIV/AIDS prevention programs in Nepal should now focus more on adolescents from rural regions. The authors also suggest the ways one may approach the task of developing a prevention program targeting rural youths.