Search
  1. Home
  2. Africa

UN security council debates HIV/AIDS

    JOHANNESBURG

    For the first time in two years the UN Security Council has held a debate on HIV/AIDS to highlight the role of peacekeepers in preventing the spread of the pandemic during missions.

    Addressing the UN Security Council meeting earlier this week, UNAIDS executive director, Peter Piot, said: "HIV/AIDS represents a challenge to every one of the 42,000 soldiers and police officers currently under UN command."

    Of the 14 UN peacekeeping forces currently in operation, six are based in the African countries of Sierra Leone, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Cote d'Ivoire, Liberia and Western Sahara.

    Piot said: "Unless the HIV challenge is met, the sustainability of these operations, and their invaluable contribution to global security, will be under threat."

    Meanwhile, countries hosting peacekeeping forces have called for mandatory HIV testing of the soldiers.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

    Share this article

    Our ability to deliver compelling, field-based reporting on humanitarian crises rests on a few key principles: deep expertise, an unwavering commitment to amplifying affected voices, and a belief in the power of independent journalism to drive real change.

    We need your help to sustain and expand our work. Your donation will support our unique approach to journalism, helping fund everything from field-based investigations to the innovative storytelling that ensures marginalised voices are heard.

    Please consider joining our membership programme. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact on how the world responds to crises.

    Become a member of The New Humanitarian

    Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

    Join