UNFPA: POPULATION ISSUES: PREVENTING HIV INFECTION: Global Youth Partners

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Senegal

Youth Partner

Name:	Ndeye Awa Ndiaye
Age:	23
Nationality:	Senegalese
Affiliated Organization:	Groupe pour l’Etude et l’Enseignement de la Population (GEEP)

Ndeye Awa Ndiaye works at the club EVF to teach students about HIV/AIDS. She also hosts a radio show (MANOORE FM) where she discusses HIV prevention.

Ndeye is passionate about helping those who are affected by HIV and therefore she is also a counselor for youth who want to get tested for HIV.

Ndeye enjoys reading, going to the beach and chatting on the internet.

UNFPA in Senegal

According to the 2002 estimations of the STI/ HIV/AIDS Division of the Ministry of Heath, the prevalence rate of HIV in Senegal is 1% in the general population and 1.3% for young people (15-24 years old). About 5,500 new infections have been recorded during the year 2000 and an estimated 80,000 persons are living with HIV and AIDS.

In the Senegalese National Strategic Plan on HIV/AIDS 2002-2006, young people are the principal target for HIV prevention. The main prevention strategy is the reinforcement of youth capacities to integrate the struggle against HIV/AIDS in their activities in order to promote responsible sexual behaviours.

Since the first case of HIV in 1986, all sectors of the Senegalese society have been involved in this struggle:

With political leadership, a national program has been set up and 5 national plans have been elaborated and implemented from 1987 to 2001
NGOs, religious and community leaders have increased access for all Senegalese people, especially youth, to prevention information.

Since 1994, the UNFPA Office in Senegal has been involved in adolescent reproductive health. It provides information and services for in-school and out-of-school adolescents. Modules and curricula on RH and HIV/AIDS have been created and disseminated by teachers and peer educators. For young people who are out of school, information and clinical services are available in ten youth centres, which have been set up in each region of the country. In those centres prevention and sensitisation activities are conducted by peers. UNFPA also provides condoms, and is the principal donor in the country for female condoms.

Since the last UNFPA Country Program, Senegal has introduced family health education that includes HIV prevention in Koranic schools. Curricula have been developed in Arabic and teachers are trained in prevention education.

Other successful initiatives include the organization of sensitising activities, such as beach animations with sketches about HIV/AIDS, and bike trips in rural areas with thematic debates on this topic.