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ECOWAS AIDS plan targets armed forces

    JOHANNESBURG

    Governments from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) are currently meeting in Ghana to draw up a detailed two-year plan to tackle HIV/AIDS in their armed forces.

    Professor William Bertrand of the West African Health Organisation (WAHO) told the UN news service, PlusNews, that existing data on HIV/AIDS prevalence for the region's armed forces were not very accurate.

    He said West African soldiers were particularly at risk of contracting HIV/AIDS because of their frequent participation in peacekeeping operations in the conflict-torn region.

    Bertrand said: "Though it is very difficult to gather statistically sound evidence from war-zones, it is quite likely that more people will be killed by HIV/AIDS in these areas than bullets. It is therefore very incumbent on all of us to address this as one of the priority problems."

    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

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