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Two UN peacekeeping missions create awareness-raising units on HIV/AIDS

Two UN peacekeeping missions create awareness-raising units on HIV/AIDS

The United Nations peacekeeping operations in East Timor and Sierra Leone have set up special HIV/AIDS units to raise awareness about how to prevent and treat the deadly virus.

The new unit in Sierra Leone was set up in line with an understanding between UNAIDS (the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS) and the Department for Peacekeeping Operations. It aims to sensitize peacekeepers and civilian UN staff, as well as the communities in their deployment area, the mission said in a statement issued today in Freetown.

In East Timor, the UN transitional administration (UNTAET) said it was establishing an all-Timorese working group to deal with sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS. The group, whose 12 members will be formally nominated tomorrow in Dili, will be composed of representatives from non-governmental organizations, the Church, women's groups and medical associations.

The role of the new working group will be to advise the UN mission and the future East Timorese government on prevention and care of sexually transmitted diseases.