Victoria, Seychelles, 15th April 2015 - Seychelles has a concentrated epidemic of HIV. This means that though the prevalence is less than 1% in the general population, some special population have high incidence rates.

So much is therefore being done to try to prevent and even reduce the cases of HIV and AIDS amongst the whole population as well as targeting high risk groups such as men who have sex with men, sex workers, intravenous drug users, migrant workers and adolescents.

In commemoration of the 2014 World AIDS Day, the Mental Health Unit of the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Seychelles National Youth Council (SNYC) conducted a-four day training for youth Peer Educators. Between the 25th to the 28th November 2014, various youth groups from the SNYC including the members from the Seychelles National Youth Assembly and Youth workers were equipped with skills, knowledge and values which will allow them to promote Harm Reduction interventions with injecting drug users. 

The peer educators training was facilitated by Dr Daniella Malulu, Consultant in Charge Psychiatrist, Annalisa Labiche, Senior Clinical Psychologist and Brigitte Gbilimou, Provisional Psychologist. The four-day training was followed by an outreach activity organised on World AIDS Day, December 1st in collaboration with the Drug and Alcohol Council.

The World Health Organisation sponsored T-shirts received from United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) as part of the “Young People Today: Time to Act Now” initiative to be worn by the peer educators during their outreach activities. The ‘Young People Today: Time to Act Now’ is an initiative led by the Ministries of Health and Education from the East and Southern Africa region and supported by the United Nations, the Southern African Development Community and the East African Community to improve the lives of young people with sexuality education and health services in the region.

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For more information, please contact:

Doreen Hotive (Mrs), NPO/HIP Officer
Tel: (248) 4224795
Fax: (248) 225754
Email: hotived [at] who.int (hotived[at]who[dot]int)