Pediatric Care Center in Sierra Leone

BINKOLO, SIERRA LEONE - OCTOBER 5: Children look at members of a local female soccer team playing soccer during UNICEF Ambassador and Manchester United player Ryan Giggs visits to the Wesleyan Church of Sierra Leone Primary School to participate in HIV/AIDS prevention activities among children aged between 10 and 15 years old and to play soccer with a local female soccer team on October 5, 2009 in Binkolo, Sierra Leone. Ryan Giggs makes his first visit to Sierra Leone, West Africa to highlight the vital role of HIV prevention in combating the spread of the disease amongst young people, as part of UNICEF's global HIV campaign "Unite for Children, Unite Against AIDS" and in advance of World AIDS Day 1st December. Whilst major progress has been made, the number of cases of HIV worldwide continues to rise. Young people (between 15 and 24) now account for the highest proportion of all new HIV infections (45%). UNICEF is working to prevent the spread of HIV among young people by addressing its causes and by giving young people the skills and knowledge needed to protect themselves. Sierra Leone is one of the world's poorest countries, with one of the highest under five mortality rates in the world and a total life expectancy of just 43 years. Whilst many countries in the region have suffered the devastating effect of HIV, Sierra Leone has, for the moment been spared the worst. That said the country is at a crucial crossroads. Whilst HIV prevalence remains relatively low at 1.5%, there has been a 75% increase in new HIV infections since 2002, yet only 17% of youngsters know how to protect themselves from infection, making the need for HIV prevention urgent. In 2008 Giggs fronted a UNICEF HIV prevention poster, radio and TV campaign in Sierra Leone which aimed to tap into football's huge nationwide popularity to reach those at most risk the countries 3 million young people. (Photo by Marco Di Lauro/Edit by Getty Images)