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Background
According to the national survey conducted
by the Sudan National AIDS Programme
SNAP in 2002, Sudan is the most severely
affected country in North Africa and
the Middle East with an estimated 500,000
people living with HIV/AIDS, and mostly
in need of antiretroviral therapy (ART).
Despite the fact that the epidemiological
data is limited, it is believed that
the country is in the early stages of
a generalized HIV/AIDS epidemic, with
an almost exclusively heterosexual transmission
pattern. The adult prevalence rate of
HIV/AIDS has been estimated at 1.6%,
with specific population group prevalence
rates ranging from 0.5% to 2.5% in the
northern part of the country.
The 2002 survey showed a low awareness
of HIV/AIDS, with only 53% of the population
being aware of the sexual transmission
risk of HIV/AIDS, and a total of 640,000
individuals being infected with HIV.
It has been reported that 0.5% limited
sentinel surveillance testing during
2004 yielded prevalence rates of 0.95%
(18/1900) among pregnant women, 1.9%
(9/465) among symptomatic STD patients,
and 2.3% (33/1436) among TB patients.
False beliefs about HIV transmission
were common as were indicators of strong
stigma. In fact 44% of respondents said
that they would not share a meal with
an infected individual, 31% would not
nurse a patient, and 30% would not allow
an infected child or teacher to attend
school.
To address the HIV/AIDS situation in
Sudan, UNDP, with the support of the
Global Fund to Fights AIDS Tuberculosis
and Malaria (GFATM),
launched in April 2005 Fighting HIV/AIDS
in Sudan project.
Objectives
The project’s ultimate objective
is to contribute to reducing HIV/AIDS
transmission and mortality in Sudan.
With this in mind, the project’s
specific objectives are as follows:
• To increase the prevalence
of safe behaviour among vulnerable
populations with a focus on female
sex workers, tea sellers, long-distance
truck drivers and jail inmates.
• To establish Voluntary, Confidential
Counseling and Testing (VCCT) services
and quality Antiretroviral treatment
(ART) and support centres for people
living with AIDS.
• To improve knowledge and practice
of HIV/AIDS preventive measures by
the general adult population during
2004/08, including the use of high
quality care services for sexually
transmitted infections (STI).
• To improve screening of blood
and blood products for HIV and other
blood born infections.
• To improve knowledge of HIV/AIDS
transmission among in-school youth.
• To monitor the trend of the
HIV/AIDS epidemic through Second Generation
Surveillance in selected high-risk
population groups, by measuring behavioural
and biological parameters and guide
programme planners to realign the
programme interventions in line with
current and future epidemic trends.
Snapshots of the project's major achievements
• Through community outreach activities,
the project reached a total of 34,357
vulnerable people, including truck drivers,
tea sellers, prisoners, female sex workers,
people living with AIDS and recently
IDPs, youth and uniformed personnel.
• Distributed 195,300 condoms
to vulnerable groups in all 15 Northern
States.
• Supported the treatment of 2,043
STI cases among vulnerable groups during
outreach activities.
• Ensured that 20 health facilities
are capable of providing advanced interventions
for prevention and medical treatment
of HIV infected people, including counseling
and testing and ARV treatment and support.
• Ensured 179 schools and drop-in
centres are providing life-based HIV/AIDS
education in school settings in Northern
Sudan.
• Reached a total 67,899 young
people by HIV/AIDS education in schools
in the Northern States.
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