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Programs
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The HIV/AIDS Epidemic
One of the problems facing the orphans is the lack of education and guidance which can help them understand how a disease such as AIDS can spread. The main focus of international groups such as UNICEF, working in conjunction with the Rwandan government, is to increase the education opportunities for these children as well as raise awareness of AIDS-related issues such as sexual activity and pregnancy. The Sara Communication Initiative launched in eastern and southern Africa in 1996, helps young women make the transition into adulthood. Sara is an animated cartoon character, around 14 years old, who makes important life decisions, such as whether to stay in school or how to deal with difficult adults. The episodes generate discussions on key issues affecting adolescent girls, including HIV/AIDS, the unequal workloads of boys and girls, teenage pregnancy, sexual abuse and early marriage. According to UNICEF, this Communication Initiative has been recently expanded with materials on HIV/AIDS particularly relevant to Rwanda. Another huge part of the worldwide AIDS problem is the spread of the disease from mother to child during pregnancy. In February 2004 Kigali hosted a two day conference, convened by the Organization of African First Ladies Against HIV/AIDS, facilitated by UNAIDS, the UN World Health Organization and the UN Children's Fund. Five African first ladies, including Rwanda's First Lady Jeannete Kagame, and representatives from four other countries vowed to redouble their efforts to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS on the continent and, in particular, to prevent mother-to-child infections. This issue has affected Rwanda particularly since the genocide as one third of households in Rwanda are headed by females, and the AIDS epidemic is now exerting a disproportionate impact on women who are economically, socially, and sexually vulnerable. Thousands of women who were raped during the genocide discovered they had been infected with the virus, which is then passed on to their children. The Centre de Santé in the Kacyiru section of Kigali —part of the Family Package Project, a joint initiative of the Office of the First Lady of Rwanda, the Minister of Health, and the Pangaea Global AIDS Foundation—helps many pregnant women cope with HIV/AIDS. The goal of the project is to develop and implement a model of care for HIV-positive pregnant women, and their partners and children, to extend and improve their quality of life, and enhance the stability of families affected by HIV. Find out more about HIV/AIDS Epidemic with these related links.
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