A four year old girl, who is now an orphan, from Pokhari VDC is infected by HIV. Her parents died of AIDS. In Doti, there are many children like her who have lost their parents and are fighting with HIV at present.

According to district health office, after the testing of blood of 253 people, 127 were found HIV infected. Among them 82 were found to be women, who are widows.

Similarly, 3 children below age 9 were known to be HIV infected from the test done from the month of Poush to Chaitra . According to the assessment done in 16 VDCs last year by Samaj Sewa Doti, 154 children were disclosed to be orphan because of HIV.

Amir Rana from Samaj Sewa said the children have nowhere to go due to unavailability of shelter and they are forced to beg "door to door" in search of food. The age groups of 4 to 13 are also deprived of education.

These children have their own story, own problem. They have no parents to get looked after. “I beg for food at people's door step and sometimes I have to stay without any food,” an 8 year old child stated.

Due to poverty in the district, people at young age give up their education and go to different parts of India for labor works. During their stay for a longer time, they are likely to get involved in unsafe sexual activity, and as a result they are easily infected with HIV. But it becomes worst when they are unaware of this fact. The infection is not limited within them but the spouse, as well as the innocent children have to suffer from the virus, knowingly or unknowingly.

In the VDCs Pokhari, Gajari, Kadamadau and Gaira of Doti, “36 children have been identified whose parents are dead because of HIV”, says Lawaraj Timilsina, Coordinator of Bal Bachau.

There is no such organisation in the district to provide shelter and raise these orphan children. Due to unavailability of blood tests for all, the infection among children as well as adults has not been revealed.

The research done by Red Cross showed that in every VDCs there were 10 deaths due to AIDS. Doti consisting of 50 VDCs lost more than 500 people just because of AIDS. The officer of district health office estimates that hundreds of Doti people are infected with HIV. In Doti there are 15 organizations which work for HIV but their effectiveness is not seen till date.

“There has not been support according to the need of the VDCs”, says social worker Rana. Further, he said Doti is the most HIV infected district in the far west. But due to inaccessibility of blood tests hundreds of infected people are still to be identified.

Chief District Officer Baldev Bhatta mentioned that HIV/AIDS and AIDS affected people should be identified and the government should strictly implement programs. Information, treatment and prevention programs should be carried on effectively, he added.

(Source: Kantipur National Daily, Translated by Kamana)