UNESCO, OPEC Launch Two-Year HIV/AIDS Education Project in 12 Countries
The U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries recently announced an agreement on a two-year project that aims to use education to "reduce the impact" of HIV/AIDS in 12 countries, the Press Trust of India reports. The OPEC Fund for International Development will provide $2.25 million for the project, which will be implemented by UNESCO's International Institute for Educational Planning (Press Trust of India, 12/29/04). The project aims to curb the HIV incidence among young people in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, Syria, Thailand, Uzbekistan and Vietnam by focusing on providing information and education, assistance to government agencies, teaching programs and "curriculum enhancement," according to a UNESCO release. The project also will build on and expand current grassroots projects, such as peer-education programs for youth leaders in Uzbekistan and men who have sex with men in Vietnam, advocacy by famous Cambodian athletes to promote testing for HIV and popular music concerts promoting HIV/AIDS awareness in Thailand, Laos and China (UNESCO release, 12/28/04).
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