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UNESCO and World AIDS Day in Brazil

Although considerable progress has been made in ending AIDS as a public health treatment, the HIV epidemic is not over, and young people remain disproportionately at risk. For example, only in 2020, 410,000 young people between the ages of 10 and 24 were infected with HIV. One hundred fifty thousand of them were adolescents between 10 and 19 years old. Furthermore, widespread knowledge about HIV among young people remains very low, with only one in three demonstrating accurate knowledge.

  

Comprehensive sexuality education (EIS) is essential for young people to protect themselves from HIV. It also helps young people avoid unplanned pregnancies and other sexually transmitted infections, encourages them to seek health-related information and services, promotes values ​​of tolerance, mutual respect and nonviolence in relationships, and supports a safe transition to adulthood.

  

UNESCO's work on education and HIV, particularly its strategic priorities of increasing access to quality comprehensive sexuality education and making education safe and inclusive, is a vital part of the global response to AIDS. In addition, UNESCO supports national education authorities and partners to strengthen their existing curricula and adapt content and approaches to their local context.

  

UNESCO and UNAIDS in Brazil have worked together with education and health authorities and other partners to strengthen the response to HIV throughout the country. Particularly in Roraima, the Organizations have worked with Venezuelan refugees and migrants and the state population, including the indigenous people, where these groups have been exposed to a high degree of vulnerability to HIV. In collaboration with UNAIDS, UNESCO is supporting partners by carrying out World AIDS Day activities aimed at young Venezuelan refugees and migrants in Operation Welcome shelters in Roraima and other parts of the country. 

  

Currently, Roraima is one of the states with one of the highest AIDS rates in Brazil per 100,000 inhabitants. Therefore, UNESCO and UNAIDS have been seeking different ways to support public policies in health and education that aim at controlling the reduction of cases in the state.