Caravan of Life

Click the markers to follow the route of an AIDS awareness caravan along West Africa's main highway and listen to highlights from the trip.

Read the transcripts from the caravan stops.

A caravan to fight AIDS has completed a journey of more than 1,000 kilometers traveling through five West African countries along one of the busiest highways in the world. The "Love Life Caravan" brought AIDS prevention messages to four million people along the Lagos to Abidjan artery in May and June.

Most economic activity for the entire West African Region (15 countries) is concentrated in the corridor. The transitory nature of business life in the region means that many are at increased risk of infection with HIV. Lonely truck drivers, officials prepared to compromise on paperwork in return for a ‘favor’, travelers or traders open to opportunity and sex workers are among the people reached by the Global Fund financed project which is operated through an inter-state collaboration.

According to studies conducted by UNAIDS, HIV prevalence is twice as high on borders than in the interior of countries. With their location generally distant from cities and large towns, communities situated along borders often do not have access to counseling and testing services for HIV and AIDS. The caravan’s arrival in towns and border posts inspired sketches, testimonials and open discussions about HIV AIDS. More than 6,600 people were encouraged to take the voluntary counseling and testing provided by the van’s mobile laboratory, where HIV test results were available in just 10 minutes. A further 20,000 people got tested as a result of the advocacy. The caravan also distributed more than half a million condoms along its route.