HIV/AIDS prevention

Although Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH) belongs to the group of countries that report a relatively low HIV/AIDS prevalence, the small number of reported cases may hide the fact that many young people are involved in highly risky, unprotected behavior such as injecting drugs and having unprotected sex.

The number of officially reported HIV cases in BIH is 116. However, experts fear that the number of registered HIV and AIDS cases may only represent the”tip of the iceberg”. This is primarily due to insufficient surveillance data on high-risk groups, so it is feared that the epidemic will be fully detected only at the point when it has moved into the general population and has become a full fledged epidemic. A highly mobile population, including refugees, IDPs, returnees, rural-urban migrants, labor migrants, victims of trafficking and sex workers are considered especially vulnerable to contracting HIV.

The rates of HIV infection in CEE/CIS are highest among 15 – 24 yr olds and adolescents under 18 years of age are engaging in behaviour that puts them at risk of contracting HIV.  These behaviours include injecting drug use with non-sterile equipment and unprotected sexual intercourse. 

Unfortunately, however, data on HIV/AIDS and the risk behaviour of specific groups is fragmented and anecdotal. Although the Entity Ministries of Health have taken certain steps to strengthen data collection and surveillance, BIH does not have a 2nd generation surveillance system established that would report on the behaviours that place people at risk of contracting HIV.

UNICEF has supported research with and among young people to obtain an understanding of risk behaviors and the level of knowledge about HIV/AIDS transmission among young people, including those engaging in risk behaviours. With this information, UNICEF supported the government to recognize HIV/AIDS as a serious issue in BH, to establish a state level, multi-sectoral National Advisory Board on HIV/AIDS that reports to the Council of Ministers and to develop a national Strategy on the prevention of HIV/AIDS. Finally, in the absence of government services in the area, UNICEF supported NGOs in establishing the first voluntary and confidential counselling and testing services (VCCT).