The survey conducted by the Center for National AIDS and Sexual Diseases Control in Kathmandu and Pokhara has shown that 73 per cent and 61 per cent women sex workers in the capital city and Pokhara respectively use condoms meant for safe sex. [break]
In the same survey conducted in 2004, only 57 per cent women sex workers in Kathmandu and 35 per cent women sex workers in Pokhara had responded that they used condom during intercourse.
The survey was conducted with support from the USAID.
At a press meet in the capital today, officials said three per cent women sexual workers in Pokhara were living with HIV/AIDS while the number of women sexual workers in Kathmandu living with HIV/AIDS is two per cent.
Likewise, the number of youth contracting HIV by reusing syringes has also decreased. Altogether 340 youth of Kathmandu and 345 youth of Pokhara were included in the survey.
The number of injecting drug users has fallen down to 6.3 per cent from 68 per cent in the capital in 2002 and 4.3 per cent in Pokhara from 22 per cent in 2003.
Participants of the programme however commented that the survey fails to represent the whole picture of the country as it has failed to grasp the most essential target group, problems of the affected were not solved and the survey was conducted only in two districts.
On the occasion, Director General of the Department of Health Services, Dr Yeshobardhan Pradhan, Director of the Center, Dr Ramesh Kumar Kharel, and other officials said such surveys shall be conducted in other parts of the country. They hoped the present survey will provide guidelines to the future programmes against HIV/AIDS.
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