IBBS surveys have been successfully conducted in various rounds in Nepal for the last about a decade among key populations at higher risk for HIV. Different round of IBBS were successfully carried out under leadership of NCASC .Evidences from different rounds of IBBS surveys carried out in Nepal suggest that HIV prevalence is still high among PWID compared to other Key population such as Female Sex workers (PWID) and Male having sex with Male (MSM). This is six round of IBBS surveys among PWID West to Far West Terai Districts.
Injection of drugs is strongly linked to HIV because of the higher rate of HIV transmission through needles. Syringe use and needle sharing habits are one of the key behavioral factors that act as the principle driver in the transmission of HIV and other blood borne pathogens. Findings obtained from the previous survey have shown that the prevalence of HIV in PWID ranges from 22 percent in 2003, 21.7 percent in 2005, 6.8 percent in 2007, 3.4 percent in 2009, 4.6 percent in 2011 to 2.8 percent in 2015 in Pokhara valley.
HIV in Nepal is characterized as a concentrated epidemic. Nepal is categorized as a country facing concentrated HIV epidemic. The National Centre for AIDS and STD Control (NCASC) has estimated that there were 39,249 people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Nepal in 2014 with adult HIV prevalence 0.20% (NCASC, 2014). The National HIV/AIDS strategy 2011-2016 has adopted strengthening of the Second Generation Surveillance(SGS) system as one of the key principles of strengthening surveillance of HIV and STI in Nepal.
The survey was undertaken primarily to track the trend of HIV prevalence among MLMs and to understand risky sexual behaviors among MLMs of Western and Mid to Far Western Regions of Nepal. Information on the socio-demographic characteristics, work and migration, sexual behavior and condom use with different partners in Nepal and during the stay in India; knowledge perception and attitude on HIV/AIDS and STI; use of drug and injection; exposure to STI, HIV and AIDS awareness programs; and stigma/discrimination against HIV infected person were collected using a structured questionnaire.
This IBBS Survey among FSWs (FSWs) in Kathmandu Valley is sixth round of Survey. It was conducted first time in 2004. The survey was undertaken primarily to track the trend of HIV infection, to access information about the safe sex practices, sexual behavioral, knowledge of HIV and STI, explore the association between risk behaviors and infections with HIV or STI.
This is the first round of the IBBS survey conducted among Female Injecting Drug Users (FIDUs) in Pokhara Valley. The females of 16 years and above who had been injecting
drugs for at least three months preceding the survey were defined as FIDUs and enrolled in the survey. School of Planning Monitoring Evaluation and Research (SPMER) carried
out this survey from December 2016 to May 2017 under the leadership of NCASC. The survey was undertaken primarily to determine the prevalence of HIV, Syphilis, Hepatitis B
(HBV) and Hepatitis C (HCV) infection among FIDUs.
