HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS

Key results in 2008

Key results in 2008

 

HIV/AIDS

© UNICEF Sudan/2006/Bismarck Swangin

Children hold each other in Rumbek, Southern Sudan, during celebrations to mark World Aids Day

While available data on HIV prevalence is limited in Sudan, it is generally accepted that Sudan is in the early stages of a generalised HIV/AIDS epidemic, and indications of higher infection rates in the south than in the north. By the year 2012, UNICEF in Sudan aims to have contributed to tackling HIV and AIDS, achieving key results that include:

• Ensuring 27 million children and young people have access to information and services that reduce their vulnerability to HIV/AIDS.
• Ensuring 3.5 million pregnant women receive counselling on HIV - of which half accept HIV testing.
• All infected pregnant women and their infants receive appopriate treatment.

Increasing public awareness and understanding

UNICEF works alongside the Sudan National AIDS Control Programme (SNAP) in the north of Sudan and the Southern Sudan AIDS Commission (SSAC) to develop programmes that tackle lack of knowledge and understanding on HIV and AIDS. Increasing focus is placed on multi-sectoral approaches, to ensure that the issue of HIV is integrated into areas such as education, youth affairs, and the military. A multi-media public information campaign aimed at high risk audiences was launched in 2007 across the north of Sudan, to complement ongoing peer-to-peer education activities.

"There is so much bad information about AIDS. Once you have shared the right information, people react very positively".

Selim, HIV counsellor, Khartoum.

Caring for people living with HIV and AIDS

UNICEF supports a wide range of Voluntary Counselling and Testing Centres and Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission services, the latter being implemented through ante-natal centres. In Southern Sudan, where prevalence rates are believed to be much higher than official records indicate, the Ministry of Health has established a dedicated HIV/AIDS unit to focus on implementing services including Voluntary Counseling and Testing, Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission, and treatment and care of people living with HIV, as well as widespread public education activities.

UNICEF also assists projects that care for children and families affected by the virus.

Policy, systems and capacity development

Efforts have also been made to ensure that legislation is strengthened to provide better protection for people living with HIV and AIDS – for example, in the north of Sudan, a new HIV law prohibits discrimination on the basis of being HIV positive.