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UNAMID JOINS THE WORLD IN OBSERVING WORLD’S AIDS DAY

Photo by Salah Mohammed, UNAMID.

UNAMID HIV and AIDS Unit (HAU) and various Mission components today held a march and conducted HIV/AIDS Voluntary Testing campaign at the Mission’s Headquarters (MHQ) in Zalingei, Central Darfur as part of the commemoration of World AIDS Day, globally observed on 1 December.  The march around the MHQ premises is a reminder to UNAMID staff and the host community that the dreaded HIV/AIDS, still exists around the world.

 This year’s commemoration held under the theme: “Global Solidarity, Shared Responsibility,” is taking place at a time when the world is also focused on yet another deadly disease - COVID 19. In his message for the Day, the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres states that the “HIV response has much to teach the fight against COVID-19.  We know that to end AIDS and defeat COVID-19 we must eliminate stigma and discrimination, put people at the center and ground our responses in human rights and gender-responsive approaches.” 

At the commemorative event, UNAMID’s Police Chief of Operations, Yemane Asnesa, led by example and volunteered in the HIV/AIDS Voluntary Testing services availed at the Testing Centre within the Mission’s Headquarters. UNAMID Military, Police and Civilian personnel fully participated in this annual event in an effort to draw attention to the continued existence of the disease and to encourage all to take advantage of the free testing services offered by the Mission.