Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan launches UNITE FOR CHILDREN UNITE AGAINST AIDS

© UNICEF Uzbekistan/2005/ Haydarov

The popular singer Sevara Nazarkhan among young leaders of the KAMOLOT Youth Movement, at the launch of the campaign in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, 26 October 2005 – Nearly a million cell-phone subscribers in Tashkent received an intriguing ‘wake-up call’ today through an SMS message asking: “Why are so many young people contracting HIV?”

The ‘wake-up call’, initiated by UNICEF, marked the launch of UNITE FOR CHILDREN  UNITE AGAINST AIDS in Uzbekistan. Each SMS message had a link to the UNICEF website where everyone interested was able find more detailed information about the campaign.

The campaign was jointly launched by UNICEF and the KAMOLOT Youth Movement. Attending the event were high-level representatives from the Government of Uzbekistan and the Ministry of Health, from the UN and several bilateral agencies, and from international and local NGOs; school principals and peer educators from Tashkent city and Tashkent region; and representatives of a large number of media organizations.

© UNICEF Uzbekistan/2005/ Haydarov

Almost a million cell-phone subscribers in Uzbekistan received a text message as part of the UNITE FOR CHILDREN UNITE AGAINST AIDS campaign launch.

KAMOLOT, a network of youth volunteers in every district and school of Uzbekistan, has been building a cadre of peer educators in partnership with UNICEF, to provide HIV prevention information and skills to youth in Uzbekistan.

UNICEF committed to contribute technical assistance and guidance to the Government of Uzbekistan in the formulation of a national communication and mobilization strategy against HIV/AIDS, specifically focused on reaching the most-at-risk youth.