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| Africa Subsaharan |
| Senegal clamps down on bars to fight Aids |
| 2012-12-05 |
| [Daily Nation (Kenya)] Senegal ... a nation of about 14 million on the west coast of Africa bordering Mauretania to the north, Mali to the east, and a pair of Guineas to the south, one of them Bissau. It is 90 percent Mohammedan and has more than 80 political parties. Its primary purpose seems to be absorbing refugees... ’s minister of tourism and entertainment Youssou N’Dour on Tuesday kicked off a nationwide campaign against clandestine bars and motels in a bid to check the spread of HIV/Aids. He said besides posing an unfair competition to bars and motels legally operating in the country, “we need to ensure that these clandestine bars and motels are not springboards for the propagation of HIV/Aids.” Senegal’s successful attempts to check the spread of Aids as early as in the 80s has given the country the reputation of a model and considered as an inspiration in the global fight against the pandemic. A decade after the outburst of the epidemic, WHO data revealed that the rate of infection among adults was 0.5 per cent (while the government pegged it at 0.3 per cent) among the lowest worldwide. Soon after the epidemic broke out, the the government speedily mounted a socialist-style public education strategy in 1984 that massively mobilised all levels of society, notably women’s groups, faith-based organizations, government agencies, the private sector and the media. Prostitution by women became legalised while a special education was given to registered sex workers who were issued identification cards and were subject to regular medical checks. Minister N’Dour said since the spread of the disease is often linked to alcohol and drug abuse, it was therefore imperative that entertainment industries including bars and motels should be controlled. “We will go all out to ensure that these clandestine bars and motels which do not become the lieu for the propagation of hiv/aids,” the minister said. |
| Posted by:Fred |