Young people and women are increasingly vulnerable to HIV and AIDS. Young people often lack access to essential information about HIV transmission and the means to protect themselves from the virus. Women face higher risks than men for biological reasons as well as gender inequities. Promoting safer sexual behaviour, empowering young women to refuse unwanted and unsafe sexual relations, and persuading young men to assume more responsibility by protecting themselves and their partners are matters of utmost priority.

www.unfpa.org

As one of the greatest obstacles to eradicating poverty, fighting AIDS belongs at the core of national development plans and processes. To address the underlying causes of the epidemic and to protect the most vulnerable populations, nations must mobilize all levels of government and civil society for coordinated, multisectoral responses to the epidemic.

www.undp.org

While AIDS is clearly a health problem, the world has come to realize it is also a development issue that threatens humen welfare, socio-economic advances, productivity, social cohesion, and even national security. AIDS reaches into every corner of society, affecting parents, children and youth, teachers and health workers, rich and poor.

www.worldbank.org

Drug users face a very high risk of contracting HIV. Injecting drug
users who share needles are particularly vulnerable, but the use of any psychoactive drug can lead to sexual and other-high risk behavior that individuals might otherwise avoid. Through sexual contact, HIV infection is spread from the drug-using community to others. Reducing the demand for illicit drugs, especially among youth and high-risk groups, is an essential component in HIV prevention programmes.

http://www.unodc.org/unodc