UNAIDS: The First 10 Years

UNAIDS The First 10 Years62Information was also provided about good examples of innovative support, such as The AIDSSupport Organisation’s (TASO) ‘post-test clubs’ in Uganda, bringing together HIV positive andnegative people to exchange experience and provide mutual support. ‘Particularly effectiveapproaches are a combination of several elements; they enjoy government backing, are protectiveof human rights, they are adequately resourced and grounded in community action’ 12 .Other countries were encouraged to replicate these good practices.HIV prevention educationgrounded in communityaction was an essential taskfor UNAIDS to promote.UNAIDS/ O.O’HanlonIn October 1997, UNAIDS put out a press release to highlight the publication of a review of68 reports on sexual health education from a number of countries. Their key finding was thatsexual health education does not lead to increased sexual activity. This work provided anessential counterweight to opponents of early sex education, and is still cited as an importantpiece of research.Mahesh Mahalingam was working in Nepal for UNDP at the time; he later joined UNAIDS asadviser on young people. He commented: “UNAIDS used information very tactically. It washappy to disseminate information from other institutions as well as generate it itself, and itanticipated future needs. … It was path-breaking in terms of profiling the fact that children arebeing infected, and that it could be prevented. Even now, the fact that sex education does notlead to early sex or risky behaviour comes from [the work] that UNAIDS commissioned, andthere’s been very little new research on this since”.12UNAIDS (1996). Press Release for World AIDS Day, 15 March. Geneva, UNAIDS.