12 Mar 2014

Young people have been encouraged to participate in HIV/AIDS prevention efforts by making the right sexual reproductive health choices for themselves and their loved ones.

Speaking at the Month of Youth Against AIDS (MYAA) campaign hosted by the Ministry of Health on Tuesday March 11, the national coordinator of Safe Male Circumcision, Mr Conrad Ntsuape said it was important that new infections were stopped. He said the campaign’s objective aimed at achieving an AIDS transition where fewer people were newly infected than were placed on treatment.

The 2014 MYAA campaign focuses on prevention of new infections among youth aged 12 to 35 while the campaign prevention focuses on reducing the risk of HIV transmission through changes in sexual behavior and by addressing underlying structural issues such as social norms, poverty, gender inequalities and reducing the risk of bio-medical transmission, he said.

Mr Ntsuape said the aim was to provide behaviour change intervention and communication on HIV/AIDS in the health sector for HIV/AIDS and STI interventions. 

He said the campaign thematic areas would include promotion of Safe Male Circumcision (SMC), Multiple Concurrent Sexual Partners (MCP), consistent and correct condom use and abstinence.

The ministry, he added, would also concentrate on promotion of SMC, consistent and correct condom use to increase the comprehensive knowledge and skills of young workers on HIV and AIDS and related issues. 

For his part, Pastor Lopang Raboloko encouraged the youth to go for a HIV/AIDS test. Ends