The current situation
	Why focus on prevention?
	Strategy for prevention
	Core areas of support Young people, Condom programming, Pregnant women
	Enabling environment Mainstreaming gender concerns, Population and development concerns, Advocacy and partnerships, Capacity building

Enabling environment (continued)

3. Advocacy and partnerships

UNFPA Goodwill Ambassadors Raise HIV/AIDS Awareness UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador Mpule Kwelagobe speaks about HIV/AIDS with young people in Botswana, where HIV rates are the highest in the world. The former Miss Universe won the 2001 Jonathan Mann Award for work in HIV/AIDS, health and human rights. From Botswana, where HIV rates are highest in the world, Ms. Kwelagobe is an outspoken advocate for HIV prevention among adolescents. She also addressed a panel organized by UNFPA on young people and HIV/AIDS during the World Youth Forum in Dakar, Senegal, along with Goodwill Ambassadors Lara Dutta and Wendy Fitzwilliam. AIDS was also a priority for Goodwill Ambassadors Goedele Liekens and Chea Samnang. Ms. Liekens, a popular television personality in Belgium, produced a documentary about the challenges faced by an HIV-positive mother in Botswana raising two young daughters who also are living with the virus. Dr. Samnang, a Cambodian doctor and television star, spoke out about the role of men in ending violence against women and discussed HIV/AIDS with 100 young people at a youth camp organized by NGOs.

Advocacy builds awareness about the threat posed by HIV/AIDS. It increases understanding of the pandemic’s multisectoral nature, its links to poverty, and factors that heighten vulnerability and risk such as gender inequity.

Advocacy entails mobilizing political will to take action against HIV/AIDS and bring about changes in policies, laws and practices.

Translation of the ICPD Programme of Action was one of many advocacy activities undertaken in Albania, where the First Lady helped raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and other reproductive health issues.

Closer ties were forged with the media and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) through numerous 2001 events including media campaigns, a radio programme for young people, poster contests and publication of a manual of the country’s health laws.

Through advocacy efforts, UNFPA builds alliances with partners and helps create consensus on HIV/AIDS issues. Partnerships are forged with national and local governmental authorities, UNAIDS co-sponsors, NGOs, private foundations, the private sector, community leaders, religious leaders, and individuals including young people and people living with HIV/AIDS.

Strong partnerships enable UNFPA to leverage limited resources and magnify the impact of HIV prevention efforts.

In 2001, UNFPA and key partners continued to strengthen regional initiatives including the African Youth Alliance in four countries of Africa; the European Commission/UNFPA Initiative for Reproductive Health in seven countries of South and East Asia; and Meeting the Development and Participation Rights of Adolescent Girls, an interregional project in 12 countries.

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