United Nations Development Programme (New York) - December 22, 2003

The Emir of Liptako, their paramount chief, led hundreds people in dance and cheers as he formally received a translation into the local language, Fulfulde, of the National Human Development Report 2001 on HIV/AIDS. Representatives of the National AIDS Council and UNAIDS took part in the ceremony.

"We hope that with your help, the contents of the report will be made available to the maximum number of people who read and understand the local language and to those who can disseminate its message as widely as possible in the region," UNDP Resident Representative Christian Lemaire told the chiefs.

The Emir declared: "The choice of traditional chiefs as key leaders for the fight against HIV/AIDS is significant, and we are grateful to UNDP. The chiefs are aware of the terrible consequences of the epidemic, and therefore we are making the commitment to bring the report's message to every household in the region."

The chiefs will disseminate the report throughout the region, and people who are literate will reach those unable to read through debates, conferences, drama and traditional caravans, he said.

The report warns that the proportion of people living in poverty could increase from 45 per cent to 54 per cent in between 1997 and 2010 because of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Without HIV/AIDS, improvements in health care and living standards could boost life expectancy to 59 years by 2010. With the epidemic continuing to spread, however, by that year people can on average expect to live only to 44, says the report.

The HIV/AIDS ravages are therefore undermining Burkina Faso's ability to reach targets of the Millennium Development Goals for 2015.

According to UNAIDS, Burkina Faso is one of the west African countries hardest hit by the epidemic, with nearly 7 per cent of those between 15 and 49 infected, and young women are five to eight times more likely to become infected than young men.

For further information please contact , UNDP Burkina Faso, or , UNDP Communications Office.

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