WUNRN
http://www.economist.com:80/daily/news/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13612889&fsrc=nwl
May 7, 2009
YOUNG women are
suffering disproportionately from HIV and AIDS according to a new report from
UNICEF
The biggest difference among the
sexes is in sub-Saharan
UNICEF
UK has highlighted that insufficient attention is being given to preventing the
transmission of HIV among young people under the age of 25. In a new report,
‘HIV prevention with young people: The key to tackling the epidemic’, the
world’s leading children’s rights organisation called for urgent action,
stressing that prevention of HIV among young people is key to tackling the
global epidemic.
The report marks the launch of UNICEF UK’s ‘We want to
live free from HIV’ campaign, which aims to raise £2 million for HIV prevention
and remind governments of the importance of effective HIV prevention amongst
young people.
Statistics in today’s report reveal that girls and
young women remain far more vulnerable to HIV infection than young men, with
two-thirds of the 5.5 million 15- and 24-year-olds with HIV worldwide being
women. The majority of these young people still lack comprehensive and correct
information about how to prevent HIV infection, or do not have the power to act
on that knowledge.
“Many young people have heard of HIV and AIDS but
don’t know how it’s spread and don’t believe they are at risk,” said Deputy
Executive Director of UNICEF UK, Anita Tiessen. “More attention has to be given
to preventing the spread of HIV by working alongside young people to make sure
that prevention work is designed and delivered in a way that is ‘youth
friendly’ and really meets their needs,” she added.
In Southern Africa, home to 67% of all people with
HIV, young women are two- to four-and-a-half times more likely to be infected
than men of the same age. Girls are put at risk through having multiple sexual
partners at the same time, having sex with older men, having sex in exchange
for money or goods and being abused.
“HIV can be best avoided through a three-pronged
approach – by making sure people have the right information, can access health
services, and get protection when they need it,” Anita Tiessen added. “Up until
now, these three approaches have too often been used in isolation and not
enough attention has been given to knowing how HIV spreads and to taking a more
effective combined approach.”
UNICEF is working globally to provide the training and
skills young people need to live free from HIV, with HIV prevention programmes
addressing behavioural change and social issues, as well as providing essential
health services to reduce the risk to children and young people.
‘We want to live free from HIV’ is part of UNICEF’s
global campaign ‘Unite for Children, Unite against AIDS’, launched globally in
2005 to place children at the centre of the response to HIV and AIDS.
================================================================
To contact the list administrator, or to leave the list, send an email to: wunrn_listserve-request@lists.wunrn.com.
Thank you.