UN Helps Mozambique to Fight HIV/AIDS in Armed Forces

Through a partnership with UNAIDS, Mozambique will introduce HIV/AIDS prevention classes in its military training curriculum, local media reported Saturday. Through coordination and cooperation, the partnership seeks to provide efficient health care and treatment to HIV-positive persons in the Mozambican defense forces. Director of the Office for Security and Humanitarian Response for UNAIDS, Ulf Kristoffersson, said the agreement will help educate soldiers about HIV/AIDS, as well as provide assistance for military units on international peace missions. Defense Minister Tobias Dai said the partnership will complement the government program for fighting HIV/AIDS, which it regards as a threat to the country's stability. Official figures estimate that over 13 percent of the Mozambican population between ages 15 and 49 -- or about 1.3 million people -- are HIV-positive.

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