AIDS education reaches Pacific atolls

The Republic of Kiribati consists of 33 islands and 69,000 inhabitants dispersed over a large area of the Central Pacific. It includes the former Gilbert Islands, which were linked as British colonies with the Ellice Islands until the latter declared themselves independent as Tuvalu. Kiribati became independent from Britain in 1979 and joined WHO [the World Health Organization] in 1984. Launched in 1988, the national AIDS program is now implementing its second medium-term plan. As part of this plan, the program recently held its first AIDS awareness workshop for hotel workers, health care workers and youth. The workshop was held on Kiritimati, the world's largest atoll. Also known as Christmas Island, the atoll of 2650 inhabitants has excellent bird-watching and fishing opportunities, which have drawn growing numbers of tourists in recent years. Although neither of the two HIV infections identified in Kiribati by March 1994 were on Kiritimati, the prevalence of other sexually transmitted diseases there has been on the rise. Meeting in a traditional thatched building, the workshop participants proved eager to learn about HIV and STDs [sexually transmitted diseases]. They received instruction in prevention skills, including a demonstration of proper condom use led by the national AIDS coordinator. At the close of the workshop, condoms were provided to hotel staff for distribution.