Kathmandu, Nov. 28 -- HIV testing in Nepal declined alarmingly in the first half of 2025, a drop that experts say could reverse years of progress against the disease.

According to data from the National Center for AIDS and STD Control under the Department of Health Services, 214,722 people underwent HIV testing from January to June this year, compared to 325,514 in the same period in 2024.

With the decline in testing, new case detection has fallen proportionally. The data show 1,024 new cases were detected until June this year, compared to 1,575 new cases of HIV infection during the same period last year.

What alarms experts is that testing has not only declined in the general population but has also stopped among high-risk groups-fema...