SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE: HIV/AIDS prevention in the armed forces

The John Hopkins University in the US is to implement a year-long HIV/AIDS awareness initiative among the armed forces of Sao Tome and Principe.

According to Idalecio Pachire, army commander in the remote island state, the project is to train 500 military personnel in how to educate units and their immediate family members about the dangers of the pandemic.

"This programme will complement the awareness seminars carried out in partnership with the Ministry of Health and the National Programme for the Fight against AIDS," he told PlusNews.

Official figures suggest that close to 5,000 of the country's 160,000 population are currently living with the HI virus.

Pachire noted that the army provided regular testing for HIV but no cases of infection had so far been found among the troops.

Theme (s): Care/Treatment - PlusNews,

[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]