UNIS/NAR/814
24 September 2003
UNODC Targets HIV/AIDS and Drug Use in Africa with New Public Information Material
VIENNA, 24 September (UN Information Service) -- The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) today released radio spots and fact sheets addressing HIV/AIDS and drug use. The new public information material was presented on the occasion of the 13th International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) in Nairobi, Kenya. The material, available in English, French and Swahili, provides information on the dangerous combination of HIV/AIDS and drugs and dispels common myths about how HIV is spread.
"Drugs - and injecting drug use - have contributed substantially to the HIV epidemic in African countries", said UNODC Executive Director Antonio Maria Costa. "UNODC is fully committed to supporting Member States in their fight against the spread of HIV/AIDS associated with drug use, in general, and injecting drug use, in particular".
These radio spots and fact sheets are the newest components of UNODC's "Let's talk about drugs" campaign for Africa, which was launched worldwide in June to encourage authority figures to talk to young people about drug use. One of the new fact sheets addresses the general issue of HIV/AIDS and drug use, and the other deals with specific myths and misinformation common in Africa.
The radio spots are available at no cost and for unrestricted use by broadcasters. The spots can be downloaded in MP3 format from the Internet at htt p://www.unodc.org/. CD-ROM versions can also be ordered radiospots@unodc.org or by writing to:
UNODC
Advocacy Section
Vienna International Centre
Wagramer Strasse 5
A-1400 Vienna, Austria
Fax: (43-1) 26060-5931
* *** *
