Media Advisory
Global Launch of the Opportunity in Crisis Report 'Preventing HIV from Early Adolescence to Early Adulthood'
24 May 2011
WHAT:
The Opportunity in Crisis presents, for the first time, new data on HIV prevalence in young people aged 15-24 years, breaking down the data by country and the number of HIV-positive adolescents living there. The report highlights high risk behaviours while focusing on key gaps and opportunities for effective HIV prevention among youth. The report is issued by UNICEF and its partners, UNFPA, UNAIDS, UNESCO, ILO, WHO and the World Bank.
Some of the major findings include:
- An estimated 890,000 young people aged 15-24 were newly infected with HIV in 2009 – that is nearly 2,500 every day.
- Young people aged 15 to 24 accounted for 41 per cent of new infections among adults aged 15 and older.
- Globally, young women make up more than 60 per cent of all young people living with HIV. In sub-Saharan Africa, their share jumps to 72 per cent.
The report will be launched by a panel in Johannesburg and news embargoed until 6:00 AM US EST (11:00 GMT), 1 June 2011.
The report comes a week ahead of the 2011 UN General Assembly High Level Meeting on AIDS, which will take place from 8–10 June 2011 in New York. The world will come together to review progress and chart the future course of the global AIDS response. Member States are expected to adopt a new Declaration that will reaffirm current commitments and commit to actions to guide and sustain the global AIDS response.
WHEN:
1 June 2011; 10:30 am to 12 pm Johannesburg time
WHERE:
Atlas Studios, Studio 4, Corner Frost & Owl St, Milpark, Johannesburg, South Africa
WHO:
- Mr. Elhaj As Sy, Director for Eastern and Southern Africa, UNICEF
- Ms. Lina Mousa, Deputy Director, Africa Regional office, UNFPA
- Dr. Nono Simelela, Chief Executive Officer, South African National AIDS Council
- TBC, Representative from Baylor Center for Excellence in Botswana
- Rayhana Rassool, Senior Campaigns Manager, Soul City Institute for Health & Development Communication
- Youth delegates from Love Life, South Africa's national HIV prevention initiative for young people
Media Contacts:
UNICEF
Shantha Bloemen, UNICEF Johannesburg;
Tel +27 79 495 5938,
sbloemen@unicef.org
Roshan Khadivi, UNICEF New York;
Tel + 1 212 326 7270,
rkhadivi@unicef.org
Kun Li, UNICEF Nairobi;
Tel + 254 20 762 2218,
kli@unicef.org
The World Bank
Melanie Mayhew, World Bank Washington D.C.;
Tel + 1 202 4587 891,
mmayhew1@worldbank.org
The International Labour Organization (ILO)
Syed Mohammad Afsar, ILO Geneva;
Tel + 41 22 799 8711,
afsar@ilo.org
UNAIDS
Sophie Barton-Knott, UNAIDS Geneva;
Tel + 41 22 791 1697,
bartonknotts@unaids.org
UNFPA
Omar Gharzeddine, UNFPA New York;
Tel + 1 212 297 5028,
gharzeddine@unfpa.org
UNESCO
Lucia Iglesias, UNESCO Paris;
Tel + 33 1 45 68 1702,
l.iglesias@unesco.org
WHO
Marie-Agnes HEINE, WHO Geneva;
Tel + 41 22 7912710,
heinem@who.int
Attention broadcasters:
Video footage and high resolution images will be available free of charge at www.thenewsmarket.com/unicef
