What we do

Prevention is the most important strategy in curbing HIV epidemics, especially in low-prevalence regions such as ours. Children and young people particularly benefit from prevention programmes because they quickly absorb new information and are developing life-long habits.

• Basic prevention messages are not sinking in. Surveys show that alarming numbers of young people in our region do not know the key facts of HIV transmission and prevention.

• Prevention messages do not target individuals at high risk, who are often criminalized. Stigma and discrimination stop prevention programmes from reaching individuals at high risk, such as street children, injecting drug users and males who have sex with males.

• Taboos against sexuality and drugs. Religious and cultural taboos keep parents, teachers and other adults from discussing sex in an open and frank manner. HIV/AIDS education in our region is often vague or moralistic.

• Dangerous myths. In the absence of facts, dangerous myths about the virus circulate among young people, such as a healthy-looking person could not have HIV or bathing immediately after sex prevents infection.

• Lack of skills and services. Young people need self-confidence and negotiation skills, as well as youth-friendly heath services, voluntary counselling and testing, and condoms.

© UNICEF/EAP03997/Bloemen

University student peer educators target first-year female students in Papua New Guinea

UNICEF in Action

UNICEF supports a range of prevention activities in our region, including:

• Keeping children – especially girls – in school because children who stay in school acquire more skills and confidence;
• Introducing life skills education, peer education and outreach for young people in and out of school;
• Supporting initiatives to identify and reach vulnerable and at-risk individuals;
• Reducing stigma and discrimination;
• Introducing youth-friendly health services; and
• Mitigating the factors that make people vulnerable to HIV infection: poverty, gender discrimination, human trafficking, sexual abuse and exploitation.