Nairobi, 1 December 2014 – The UN staff in Nairobi representing different offices and agencies took part in the commemoration of World AIDS through a 5 k-Run organized at the UN headquarters. The Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes (OSESG-GL) region played an active role in the celebration.

Kicked off in the early hours of the day by the Director-General of the United Nations Office in Nairobi, Sahle-Work Zewde, the run was in solidarity to raise awareness to achieve an AIDS-free generation and to highlight the need to scale-up AIDS prevention and treatment, especially for the vulnerable. Proceeds from the Run will help children orphaned by AIDS in Nairobi.

The Office of the UN Special Envoy joined the UN family in this initiative with the understanding that conflict has long been documented to contribute significantly to the spread of HIV infection. There is greater evidence to suggest that recovery in the "post-conflict" state is potentially dangerous from the standpoint of HIV transmission, especially where sexually abused women and refugee populations have been considered as highly infected vectors of HIV transmission. High rates of HIV infection can be a threat to regional peace and security, and HIV/AIDS remains a serious threat to the health of the population and the economic well-being in the Great Lakes region.

Today, some 35 million people are believed to be living with HIV. This year’s commemoration of World’s AIDS Day als