UNAIDS Press Release - July 4, 2005

Half a year after the tsunami of December 2004, there is increased awareness of HIV among the thousands of people affected by the tsunami as well as the humanitarian, health or military personnel involved in post-disaster efforts, mainly in Indonesia. This greater understanding allows people to better protect themselves against infection. There is also a coherent plan for AIDS in areas hit by the tsunami so duplication and overlap are avoided and long-term strategies can be put in place.

"We have an unprecedented opportunity for prevention through tsunami relief efforts," said Prasada Rao, Director of UNAIDS Regional Support Team in Bangkok. "This sensitive reconstruction period is exactly when AIDS prevention efforts have to be launched. If we wait until after relief efforts are over, HIV will spread faster as people become more vulnerable." The tsunami disaster displaced close to 1.1 million people, and many lost or were separated from their families, spouses or partners and exposed to unique pressures, work constraints, living conditions and possible sexual violence, exploitation and abuse. All these factors increased their vulnerability to infection from HIV or sexually transmitted infections. The earthquake and subsequent tsunamis exacerbated vulnerability to HIV infection. In any emergency, basic services break down and across areas devastated by the tsunami, health care systems were destroyed, condoms became hard to find, and HIV prevention and care programmes were disrupted.

"Despite the successes in making sure AIDS is taken into account during an emergency, much work still needs to be done," said Jane Wilson, UNAIDS Country Coordinator in Indonesia, who has been coordinating the AIDS response during the tsunami relief efforts. "It is still difficult for all involved in relief efforts to see why such a long-term issue as AIDS must be dealt with immediately. But there is increasing understanding in those areas devastated by the tsunami that any relief effort must also include AIDS."

Mainstreaming the AIDS response into the post-tsunami effort has been made possible by applying recent international guidelines for HIV/AIDS interventions in emergency settings to a natural disaster for the first time. These guidelines were prepared by a body called the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), made up of 17 partners including United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations. The IASC Guidelines help coordinate and integrate HIV prevention interventions into emergency action plans of international humanitarian organizations and governments.

___

For further information, please contact: Dominique De Santis, UNAIDS, Kobe, mobile +81 80 1006 9753, desantisd@unaids.org. For more information on AIDS and emergencies, visit www.aidsandemergencies.org. For information on UNAIDS, visit www.unaids.org.

050704
UN050705

Copyright © 2005 - Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). All rights reserved. UNAIDS articles, which are not formal publications of UNAIDS, may be freely reviewed, quoted, reproduced or translated, in part or in full, provided the source is acknowledged. The documents may not be sold or used in conjunction with commercial purposes without prior written approval from UNAIDS (contact: UNAIDS Information Centre).

AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted grants from Boehringer Ingelheim, Bridgestone/Firestone Charitable Trust, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Elton John AIDS Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, Roche and Trimeris, and donations from users like you. Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2005. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.

AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.

Copyright ©1980, 2005. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .