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UN peacekeepers need more HIV/AIDS prevention training - new report

United Nations peacekeepers still do not have sufficient knowledge or the means to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS, UNAIDS said in a new report.

Although more soldiers and UN peacekeepers had been trained in preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS, according to the report, called 'On the Front Line', more was needed to curb the spread of the disease within the ranks.

UNAIDS executive director Peter Piot told the UN Security Council on Monday: "Although we have made significant inroads in educating peacekeepers and national uniformed services about the risks of HIV, AIDS is still not part of core military business everywhere."

Peacekeeping missions usually attracted sex workers, and young recruits and newly rotated troops should be educated about AIDS as part of their preparation for deployment, particularly in African countries.

To access the report: http://www.unaids.org


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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