In March, UNFPA launched a groundbreaking
two-year programme for HIV/AIDS prevention and gender awareness among peacekeepers
in Sierra Leone. With over 15,000 troops, the United Nations Mission in
Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) is currently the largest peacekeeping force in the
world.
Designed and executed in partnership
with the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), UNAIDS, the International
Centre for Migration and Health (ICMH), UNAMSIL and UNIFEM, the programme
includes training of medical staff within peacekeeping contingents, provision
of information and education to troops and local communities, and gender
sensitization.
The project recognizes the high level of interaction that peacekeepers have with the communities they serve. In parts of the world where such training and sensitization were not provided, peacekeepers have sometimes been blamed for helping to spread HIV/AIDS. The UNFPA/DPKO initiative aims to make peacekeepers part of the solution: to curb infection by and among troops, and to capitalize on their leadership role by mobilizing them to help educate communities on how to stay HIV-free.
Read more about the HIV/peacekeeping initiative.