Silent Struggles: Defending the rights of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nepal
31 October 2023 | Kathmandu |
Remu (name changed), 30, a widow from Sudurpaschim Pradesh, has been living her life with HIV/AIDS. Her husband, a seasonal migrant worker to a neighboring country, transmitted HIV to her, leading to their daughter also being HIV positive. She lost the family’s breadwinner, her husband, five years ago, and since then, she has been grappling with extreme poverty and crisis. “Being HIV positive, we face stigma in the community and are excluded from most professions,” she lamented.
She receives the widow allowance (ekal mahila Bhatta) provided by the Government of Nepal. While she manages to obtain regular medication for HIV from ART centers for herself and her daughter, the allowance is insufficient to cover their monthly expenses. “My daughter hesitates to go to school due to the risk of stigmatization. It would be better if the government provided us with skills and engaged us in income-generating activities,” she added.
Milan (Name changed), 40, from Lumbini Pradesh, has been living with HIV/AIDS since her husband’s passing due to the same illness. He, a seasonal migrant worker, transmitted HIV to her. Milan has been enduring extreme poverty for fifteen years while taking medication for HIV/AIDS. In the initial days of infection, she suffered from severe domestic violence and was abandoned by her family. Despite her struggles, she cannot access health insurance or widow allowances from the Nepalese government due to citizenship and documentation issues, hindering her from opening a bank account. She seeks facilitation for citizenship to claim health insurance and open a bank account.
Rama (name changed), 35, from Sudurpaschim Pradesh, also lives with HIV/AIDS, transmitted by her husband, a seasonal migrant worker, which resulted in her son being HIV positive as well. After her husband’s death due to HIV/AIDS, she returned to Nepal from India and faced increased deprivation and poverty. She, too, receives the widow allowance from the government and medication for herself and her son from ART centers, but it’s inadequate to cover their expenses. “My son hesitates to go to school due to the risk of stigmatization. It would be better if the government provided us with skills and engaged us in income-generating activities,” she expressed, seeking support for her son’s education scholarship.
Laxmi Rimal (Name Changed), 30, from Lumbini Pradesh, contracted HIV from her husband, a seasonal migrant worker, and has since been ostracized by her family. She endures extreme poverty and the stigma of being HIV positive, leading her to keep her condition confidential out of fear of losing her job. Her husband has been out of contact for four years, and she struggles to secure marriage and birth certificates for her son. Without these certificates, she faces challenges enrolling her son in school for educational support.
UNDP’s Strategic Plan Support Project (SPSP) aids the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of Nepal in monitoring the human rights situation of People Living with HIV and AIDS (PLHIV). The NHRC conducted monitoring in Sudurpachim and Lumbini Pradesh, covering eight districts, including Kanchanpur, Kailali, Dadeldhura, Doti, Accham, Kapilvastu, Rupandehi, and Nawalparasi.
During the monitoring, NHRC found various categories of HIV/AIDS positive individuals, including seasonal migrant workers, spouses and families of migrant workers, LGBTQ individuals, and sex workers. PLHIV mainly face discrimination and mental health struggles. Maintaining confidentiality becomes challenging as they are coerced into disclosing their status and undergoing HIV testing, significantly impacting their access to testing and medication. Many PLHIV are unable to obtain citizenship, directly affecting their ability to access services such as opening bank accounts, receiving health insurance, and necessary health support.
Various organizations, including UNAIDS, Save the Children Global Fund, the Nepalese government, and networks of people living with PLHIV, are directly working to address treatment. However, a comprehensive program is necessary to address stigma, discrimination, and mental health.
“They are aware of HIV transmission, testing, medication, and prevention measures. PLHIV face stigma and discrimination from family and society, yet they have less understanding that this is also a human rights issue,” said Buddha Narayan Kewat Sahani, Under Secretary, Collective Rights Division, NHRC.
“PLHIV are more vulnerable as they struggle to earn money to survive, have limited land for cultivation, insufficient funds for business investment, and limited employment opportunities. They are forced to leave jobs, exacerbating extreme poverty. I urge the local government to plan awareness programs and allocate budgets for scholarship and income-generating programs,” said Arjun Gyawali, a person living with HIV.
Read more about the programme at: https://www.undp.org/nepal
