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Press-Release
Press-Release
Medecins sans Frontieres launches Safe Sex campaign in Mongolia
*) condom is pictured
Ulaanbaatar, 1 December 1999. Today, at World Aids Day, the international,
medical relief organisation Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF) launches a mass media
campaign in Mongolia to promote the practice of safe sex in the fight against
Aids. The "…* - a healthy and wise choice"- campaign is part of the
aids prevention program that MSF is implementing throughout Mongolia, in close
co-operation with national health authorities and other organisations.
Mongolia is one of the few countries in the world not yet heavily affected
by an HIV/Aids epidemic. So far, only two HIV cases have been reported in Mongolia.
But the present HIV-epidemic in the two neighbouring countries, Russia and China,
have alarmed Mongolian authorities. The more, since the number of sexual transmitted
diseases (STDs) has increased dramatically (syphilis among pregnant women increased
5 times and gonorrhoea increased 60 times over the last 10 years) which indicates
the increase of risky sexual behaviour in Mongolia (source: National STD/Aids
Centre Mongolia, 1999).
The Mongolian health authorities and the United Nations Program on Aids (UNAIDS),
approached MSF for practical assistance in developing an effective HIV/STD prevention
program. The program in Mongolia consists of three components that aim to raise
people's awareness and increase their knowledge by disseminating information
to various target groups. A mass media campaign will address young Mongolians
with the slogan "….*- a healthy and wise choice!". This first mass
media campaign for Mongolia addresses the difficulty of discussing sexual health
issues. The campaign wants to encourage young people to overcome this taboo
and to take personal responsibility for getting informed and staying healthy.
Also, MSF will set up an information centre about HIV/Aids and other sexually
transmitted diseases in co-operation with the Russian non-governmental organisation
AIDS Infoshare and Mongolian counterparts. Furthermore, the programme will provide
training for health professionals regarding pre- and post HIV-test counselling
and the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases.
The "…* - a healthy and wise choice"-campaign will appear in Ulaanbaatar
and other urban areas in Mongolia as of 1 December 1999. The campaign consists
of three 30 second video commercials, a radio commercial, outdoor advertisement,
an information leaflet/calendar and events. The campaign will serve as a model
for future activities in the field of prevention. It is intended that the model
will be adopted by the Mongolian authorities and local non-governemental organisations
for long-term use.
For further information please contact :
· AIDS program co-ordinator: Tatiana Andreeva · Campaign consultant: Ilona van
de Braak
Tel: + 9761-36 1809 (e-mail: msfholub@mongol.net)
IMAGES
A video release will be available on Reuters on World Aids Day, December 1.
Photographs of young Mongolians by Kadir van Lohuizen will be available at our
photo editor Evelien Schotsman: evs@amsterdam.msf.org (or 31-20-5208768)
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