Guidelines on HIV prevention are being adapted to suit each
region, based on UNFPA’s strategic framework for HIV prevention. A regional
strategy for Latin America and the Caribbean was drafted in 2002 and will be
formally launched in 2003. A similar process is currently taking place in Africa.
The following are among the many other regional initiatives:
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HIV/AIDS prevention efforts in the Arab region, Central America and the
Caribbean will be strengthened under a three-year, 13-country initiative
launched in November 2002 by UNFPA and the OPEC Fund for International
Development, based in Vienna. To raise awareness among young people and
mobile populations in Central America and the Caribbean, activities will
include training for teachers and outreach workers as well as data collection.
In the Arab region, the initiative will build the capacity of NGOs and
strengthen national efforts to detect and prevent HIV infection.
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More than 80 women ministers, parliamentarians and other leaders from
sub-Saharan Africa met in Cape Verde in October 2002 to address the devastating
effects of HIV/AIDS on the region’s population, particularly its
women. The Fifth Conference of African Women Ministers and Parliamentarians,
organized by UNFPA, highlighted the need for African women leaders to actively
participate in forging national policies against HIV/AIDS and agreed on
measures to respond to its gender dimension.
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The European Commission/UNFPA Initiative for Reproductive Health in Asia
is the largestever programme of cooperation between the European Commission
(EC) and UNFPA. The EC/UNFPA Initiative has worked with 19 European NGOs
and more than 60 local partners to improve reproductive and sexual health
in seven South and South-east Asian countries (Bangladesh, Cambodia, Lao
People’s Democratic Republic, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Viet
Nam). HIV prevention is a priority in all programmes. Examples of activities
include training for NGOs, media outreach through a radio soap opera, training
of Buddhist monks in HIV/AIDS education and prevention, creation of referral
networks, and organization of a youth camp on reproductive health issues.
A second phase, the Reproductive Health Initiative for Youth in Asia, began
in early 2003, with a primary focus on adolescent girls.
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Providing young people with the skills, information and services they
need to avoid HIV infection is the aim of the African Youth Alliance (AYA),
a partnership of UNFPA, Pathfinder International and the Program for Appropriate
Technology in Health that brings together governments, national NGOs, and
the private sector. Adolescent HIV prevention and reproductive health activities
are planned in four African countries: Botswana, Ghana, United Republic
of Tanzania and Uganda.
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The Regional Inter-Agency Coordination and Support Office (RIACSO) was
established in October 2002 to enhance cooperation among international
organizations and UN agencies in their response to the crisis in Southern
Africa. The Fund assigned a full-time staff member to RIASCO.
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In Central and Eastern Europe, UNFPA and its partners improved the capacity
of NGOs and governmental offices to implement, supervise, monitor and evaluate
peer education programmes; to build the status and credibility of peer
education in the region, and to strengthen sexual education programmes
through the concept of life skills education. UNFPA organized seven peer
education-training workshops and reached 31,000 young people in national
training activities. The Youth Peer Education Electronic Resource is an
electronic networking component of the project.
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In Southern Africa, where HIV/AIDS has compounded a food crisis, UNFPA
pursued regional and multisectoral strategies to protect maternal health—in
addition to an emergency response.
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UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan gave UNFPA Special Adviser Nafis Sadik
additional responsibilities as his Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Asia.
Formerly UNFPA Executive Director, Dr. Sadik will be responsible for promoting
the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS throughout Asia.
- In 2002, the groundwork was completed for an upcoming launch of an advocacy
campaign targeting leaders and policy makers in Kenya, Mali, Niger and Tanzania
to strengthen policies, resources and programmes focused on youthdirected
prevention.
