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GENEVA/ROME, 8 May 2014—UNAIDS and the UN World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO)
Sustainable Tourism for Eliminating Poverty (ST-EP) Foundation have released a
new book on HIV for children.
The book, The Bravest Boy I Know, is about two
friends, Kendi and Kayla. Kendi is living with HIV. The story is set in Africa
and beautifully illustrated by celebrated artist Sujean Rim. It is a
heart-warming tale of how the two friends deal with HIV in a positive way. The
book conveys the important message that by taking medicine children living with
HIV can live active and healthy lives while also explaining that the medicines
can make children feel unwell and tired.
The Bravest Boy I Know was
officially launched in Rome by the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon,
Ambassador Dho Young-shim, Chairperson of the UNWTO ST-EP Foundation, Michel
Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS and Taleb D. Rifai, Secretary-General of
UNWTO. It is dedicated to Mr Ban for his work in prioritizing education through
the Global Education First Initiative which aims to put every child in school;
improve the quality of learning; and foster global citizenship.
“Stigma and
discrimination around HIV very often prevent children and families from
accessing essential HIV prevention, testing, treatment and care services,” said
Mr Ban. “These books, which will be delivered to schools across Africa through
ST-EP’s Small Libraries project, will help everyone understand that young people
can live normal and fulfilling lives with HIV."
Since November 2011, the
ST-EP Foundation and UNAIDS have partnered to equip all UN MDGs Thank You Small
Libraries with a UNAIDS corner so that all children can learn about HIV.
“As
the UN MDGs Advocate for Education, I firmly believe in the power of education
to accelerate the achievement of all UN MDGs by 2015, and particularly Goal
6—aimed at HIV,” said Ambassador Dho. “This meaningful collaboration with UNAIDS
is creating synergies that will have a powerful impact on the education and the
health of children.”
In 2012, some 3.3 million children under 15 years old
were living with HIV and 650 000 were accessing antiretroviral treatment.
Increasing access to simple and effective treatment for children is one of the
major challenges in the AIDS response. In 2012, just 34% of children in need had
access to the lifesaving treatment.
“As a father and a grandfather I know
that reading to children can be the best way to help them understand complex
issues,” said Mr Sidibé, Executive Director, UNAIDS. “We hope that this book
will encourage acceptance and openness as well as spark action to address the
specific needs of children living with HIV.”
The book is available in English
and French with a Portuguese version to follow. It is being released together
with a factsheet on children and HIV, a discussion guide for teachers and carers
as well as a narrated video of the book.
To view the full package of
materials online, please go to
http://www.unaids.org/en/resources/campaigns/2014/20140508thebravestboyiknow/
UNAIDS
The
Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads and inspires the world
to achieve its shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and
zero AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS unites the efforts of 11 UN
organizations—UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO
and the World Bank—and works closely with global and national partners to
maximize results for the AIDS response. Learn more at unaids.org and connect
with us on Facebook and Twitter.
UNWTO ST-EP Foundation
The UNWTO ST-EP
Foundation is a cornerstone of the ST-EP (Sustainable Tourism for Eliminating
Poverty) initiative of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) aimed to harness
the power of tourism to generate new opportunities for development and
empowerment in least developed and developing countries, and particularly in
Sub-Saharan Africa. UNWTO ST-EP Foundation acts in cooperation with the Korean
Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, GIZ, SNV, the Netherlands Development
Organization, IUCN NL, and the Travel Foundation, etc.
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