UN set to hold workshop to help African officials better understand HIV/AIDS

In an effort to fight the HIV/AIDS pandemic, the number one cause of death among adults in Africa, the United Nations will next week hold a workshop to provide government officials from the heavily impacted continent with tools to better understand the demographic aspects of the disease.

The six-day workshop, to be held at UN Headquarters in New York, will focus on presentations by experts and interactive discussions between trainees and experts on technical and measurement aspects of HIV/AIDS. The Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs is organizing the event to be which kicks-off Monday.

There is still much uncertainty surrounding both the estimated prevalence of the disease on different populations and the path it will follow in the future.

The workshop will also discuss ways to improve communication, especially through the mass media. The social and economic effects of the scourge will be addressed in conjunction with related policies and programmes.

Participants are expected to come from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Namibia, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Swaziland and Uganda.