Health

‘Youths key in HIV/ AIDS response’ – Rumphi NGO

By Towertops Kaunga, Nyasa Times

January 16, 2012   ·   8 Comments

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National HIV and AIDS programmes that will empower youths to protect themselves remain key in mitigating the further spread of the pandemic, GEMACCADET, a youth organization based in Rumphi has said.

GEMACCADET Executive Director Thinkho Mhango told Nyasa Times in an interview on the sidelines of a 10 day training on peer education his organization is conducting for youths drawn from Rumphi district.

Mhango said there is need for government and other stakeholders to deliberately formulate programmes that will promote a health seeking behaviour among adolescent youths.

“This will encourage delayed sexual debuts and ensure that youths seek friendly HIV testing and counselling services,” Mhango said.

He said it is against this background that his organization is implementing a one year prevention of HIV and AIDS among the youth project in T/A Chikulamayembe in Rumphi district which seeks to empower youths as channels for behaviour change.

The project is being funded by the national AIDS Commission (NAC) to the tune of K11 million.

He said HIV and AIDS continue to wreck havoc among young people within the age bracket of 15-45 as they are significantly contributing to new HIV infections every year.

Mhango  said focusing on interventions to halt the spread of HIV among the youths would therefore be of paramount importance in HIV and AIDS response.

“Youths need to be at the focal point of every intervention. Halting new infections among the youths would therefore be key to curbing the pandemic,” he said.

Rumphi District AIDS Coordinator Martin Mkandawire called for individual behaviour change among the youths.

Mkandawire also urged the youths to go for VCT, abstain from sexual and ensure delayed sexual debuts.

Tags: HIV/Aids, Thinkho Mhang

8 Responses to “‘Youths key in HIV/ AIDS response’ – Rumphi NGO”

1. 8

   Victor Says:

   January 30th, 2012 at 11:58 pm

   
   

   I like that Tinkho, taking over while stil young. keep it up boy!! Like 0 Reply

2. 7

   bob Says:

   January 23rd, 2012 at 4:28 pm

   
   

   Thinko Mango….. U have failed to enable the highlighting option…… Damn man!!! JUST DO IT!!! Cheers m8!! Like 0 Reply

3. 6

   harry brown Says:

   January 23rd, 2012 at 4:21 pm

   
   

   thats true bob enable it Like 0 Reply

4. 5

   harry brown Says:

   January 23rd, 2012 at 4:18 pm

   
   

   thanks thinkho Like 0 Reply

5. 4

   gregory munthali Says:

   January 22nd, 2012 at 10:49 am

   
   

   Guys you look very young in appearance. but in actions you are not that young as imagined. its good that you laboure3d yourself in thinking for your fellow youths. lets unveil this pandemic from our district together we shall build malawi. i salute you guys Tinkho, Bobo, Tutu and all. let those who speak against learn that you are not tails but heads. vivaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 Like 0 Reply

6. 3

   gangster Says:

   January 19th, 2012 at 9:02 am

   
   

   good move lets all abstain and reach for our goals Like 3 Reply

7. 2

   harry brown Says:

   January 16th, 2012 at 5:05 pm

   
   

   i love bob comment Like 1 Reply

8. 1

   bob Says:

   January 16th, 2012 at 4:32 pm

   
   

   enable the highlighting option mete cuz i cant copy and paste it!!!!! thanks thinkho!!!! Like 2 Reply