HIV/AIDS
ISSUE Although Serbia belongs to the countries of low HIV/AIDS prevalence, it has the same characteristics which have led to an increase in the rates of HIV/AIDS in other countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia, such as Russia and Ukraine. These characteristics are: sustained social and economic crisis; high levels of poverty and unemployment; a breakdown in the social safety net and provision of basic health and social services; increased levels high risk behaviours including prostitution, trafficking in human beings and drug use; and, changes in sexual behaviour and norms.
In Serbia, approximately 45% of all people infected by HIV are between 15 and 29 years of age.In Serbia, approximately 45% of all people infected by HIV are between 15 and 29 years of age. Since people are not accustomed to HIV testing, HIV infection is often discovered in the later stages of infection (often after they developed AIDS). It is fair to estimate higher percentage of prevalence among young people than registered figure. In the recent years main way of transmission of HIV is through sexual intercourse and more and more girls and women are infected by the virus.
Today the risk of vertical transmission of HIV (mother-to-child transmission) can be reduced to less than 2% with appropriate medical care, which means most HIV positive mothers would be able to deliver healthy baby. Unfortunately, there is very little awareness of these issues in the country, and more than 30 children have been born HIV positive.
20 years have passed since the first HIV case in Serbia. Although a lot has been done, most of interventions were of small scale, or one time off. More continuous and sustainable investments is required.
ACTION
Children and young people are key to the present and future of the country and unfortunately to the course of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. For these reasons, UNICEF capitalizes on the opportunity to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS among young by:
IMPACT UNICEF and the partners are making difference in the country. - Serbia has organised a system at the highest level to respond to the HIV epidemic and has established multi-sectoral Republican AIDS Commission. HIV/AIDS Strategies were drafted with full participation of young people to address their needs. Youth, particularly ones in the highest risk of HIV such as injecting drug users, commercial sex workers, young men having sex with men, have been prioritised in the HIV/AIDS strategy based on the results from the participatory research made by UNICEF. - Youth are graded high on the health Agenda in Serbia - Expert group on Young People’s Development and Health is established within the Ministry of Health of Serbia. - Pregnant women in Serbia will soon benefit from comprehensive programme to prevent mother-to-child transmission that is under implementation. - Almost each counselling service in Serbia provides high quality voluntary confidential counselling and testing (VCCT) for HIV as standards and protocols for VCCT have been defined and 35 trainers and 116 counsellors are trained to work with young people and 34 with pregnant women. - Young people have places to go for counselling on issues related to sexual and reproductive health – professionals from 34 primary health centres in Serbia are trained to provide youth-friendly health counselling services, and outreach capacities to reach the most vulnerable have been strengthened in co-operation with NGOs in five 5 primary health centres. - Health education programmes are part of the newly reformed school curricula. UNICEF promotes healthy behaviour among young people by giving them life skills-based education, which includes the knowledge and such skills as communication, problem-solving, negotiation and critical thinking. - UNICEF believes that peer education is one of the most effective methodologies for behavioural change among young people. In fact, 525 peer educators, trained in partnership with UNFPA, have reached tens of thousands of young people around the country, spreading information, knowledge and skills to their peers to promote healthy lifestyles and reduce their risk. Network of peer educators has spread to Roma, young people with disabilities, and those from rural areas and multicultural environments. Additional 1,000 youth have been active in creating local communication materials, developing creative models of learning and communication. Photography, theatre, radio, TV serial “Right to know”, art, clothing, leaflets are just a few examples. Serbia is committed to achieve universal goals of HIV/AIDS that: 90% of young people have access to information, education and services necessary to develop the life-skills required to reduce their vulnerability to HIV infection; and that 80% of pregnant women accessing antenatal services have information, counselling and other HIV-prevention services available to them, including appropriate services and treatment for HIV infected mothers and their babies.
There is long way to go but UNICEF is here to help.
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