World AIDS Day

• © UNESCO National Commission Cape Verde

World AIDS Day was marked in the UNESCO Dakar cluster countries by UNESCO supported activities undertaken in Senegal, Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau.

In Senegal UNESCO participated in the day’s events in partnership with the Joint UN Team on HIV, through the month-long National Campaign organized by the National AIDS Commission (CNLS). The official ceremony, presided by the First Lady, was held in Linguére in Louga region with UNESCO represented by the Secretary General of the UNESCO National Commission. At the BREDA office red ribbons and information boards were set up for staff and visitors to read throughout the day. UN Cares training was held for BREDA personnel on 30 November with a second training previewed for 7 December.

In Cape Verde the National Commission organized four interactive student seminars for students in grades 5 and 6 at the UNESCO Associated Schools in Praia. The sessions were facilitated by a social assistance technician from one of the local hospital, Agostinho Neto. The students engaged on issues such as means of transmission, prevention methods, stigma and discrimination and care and support for people living with HIV. After the lectures the students and their teachers distributed red ribbons at a local market.

Similar student lectures were organized by the UNESCO National Commission in Guinea-Bissau at four public secondary schools in the capital of Bissau, in the framework of the National “World AIDS Day” Campaign. UNESCO’s intervention was the only planned event targeted to the education sector. A teachers’ strike prevented the lectures from taking place as planned, but fortunately the seminars were re-located to private schools. The National Commission partnered with a local NGO Facol/SIDA whose staff facilitated the sessions. The seminars were accompanied by radio publicity about World AIDS Day and the themes of Universal Access and Human Rights.

• Source:UNESCO BREDA
• 26-12-2010

© UNESCO National Commission Cape Verde