World AIDS Day: Girls most at risk from HIV/AIDS

Young people perform drama showing the challenges of living with HIV/AIDS to help educate elders, parents and peers at Akateng Primary School in Ghana.

Plan in Australia is calling on the Australian Government to invest more in sexual and reproductive health education for girls in the developing world.

Chief executive Ian Wishart says World AIDS Day is the ideal time to highlight the huge impact that the disease is having on the world's girls and the fight against poverty in general.

"Our series of 'Because I am a Girl' reports demonstrate that investing in girls is one of the best ways to break the cycles of poverty that trap so many people in the developing world,” says Mr Wishart.

"But efforts to invest more in girls are being undermined by the disproportionate number of girls that are contracting and living with HIV/AIDS, and the low levels of knowledge among young people about how to avoid contracting the disease.

"For example, this year's 'Because I am a Girl' report highlights that the fastest HIV/AIDS infection group is young women, and in countries such as Malawi, Swaziland, Ghana and Liberia young women outnumber the young men living with HIV by more than 3 to 1," says Mr Wishart. “In Lesotho, nearly 8 per cent of young women aged 15-19 are living with HIV, compared to about 3 per cent of males.

"And research by the Population Reference Bureau from 2006 shows that less than half of young people in developing countries could correctly identify two ways to avoid contracting the disease – and that young women generally have less knowledge than young men.

"Clearly, more needs to be done to support efforts to educate girls entering puberty about sexual and reproductive health. Girls who grow up educated and healthy contribute enormously to the wellbeing and prosperity of their communities and countries. If we fail to help these children learn how to protect themselves, we are failing whole nations that are crying out to climb out of poverty.

"We are committed to teaching children about sexual and reproductive health. In Kenya, for example, an evaluation of the Plan-supported Kagwa youth group's activities showed that in the areas that it works in, knowledge of HIV prevention increased from 60 per cent to 90 per cent over three years," says Mr Wishart.

"But these efforts need more support. We are calling on the Federal Government to provide more funding for such education for girls and children in general to ensure the next generation grows up strong, healthy and free of HIV/AIDS. It will have a huge impact on poverty alleviation efforts."

Mr Wishart will be joining the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, and special guest Bono of U2 at tonight's World AIDS Day reception at the Sydney Opera House.

ENDS

To speak to Ian Wishart, contact:

David Cook
Media Officer
Plan International Australia
Mob: 0448 816 900
Ph: (03) 9672 3652
Email: david.cook@plan.org.au

Find out more about the Because I am a Girl reports and campaign.