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A one day seminar on HIV and Migration was held in Kathmandu on 27 October 2006 organized by NIDS
in collaboration with Fredskorpset Norway. The chief guest State Minister of Ministry of Labor
and transport management expressed in his remarks the commitment to give attention to the gist
concluded and implement the recommendations brought by the seminar to minimize the HIV risks and
vulnerabilities to the migrant workers. 75 various national and international intellectuals as well
as the stakeholders from different I/N/GOs attended and contributed in the seminar.
Though around 500 people go for foreign employment everyday and an estimation of around 1.1 million
Nepalese working and living in different parts of the world, the vulnerability and the risk factors
associated with the migrants are being ignored. Studies have shown that migrant workers are very much
vulnerable to HIV/Aids and STDs while very limited policy interventions have been taken to address the
issue. In this context, the seminar was organized to open avenue for discussion on HIV and migration
and evolve specific strategies to address vulnerability to HIV among the migrant populations.
Specifically the objectives of the seminar were; to examine the complexities and linkages between
HIV and migration, to raise the issue of HIV vulnerability among the migrant workers and to advocate
for the right based policies and laws to address the vulnerability of the migrant workers to HIV.
There were six presentations presented in the seminar by different national and international
researchers, scholars and personalities from organizations working on migration and HIV/AIDS which
revealed the situation and facts of migration and associated risk behaviors, vulnerabilities and
status of HIV/AIDS policy, findings, and recommendations.
The seminar concluded with the recommendations; the vulnerable should be properly identified, strong
data system should be promoted and relevant preventive measures should be practiced which should be
such that they should be taught of art of fishing rather than giving the fishes to eat, we should
develop effective poverty reduction programs which can reduce migration,. Besides, the labour policy
particularly of Nepal should be reviewed and revised to systematize rather than closing the doors,
the Indo – Nepal border should be regulated carefully and most importantly HIV should not be taken as
only a health issue and needs to develop a paradigm strategy to cope with the vulnerability. Finally
the seminar was closed with the documentary on ‘HIV and Mobility’ developed by CARAM Asia.
Thank you.
NIDS- Nepal.
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