While the figures of the National Institute of Health, RBC show that new infections of the AIDS virus continue to increase, currently in Burera District a campaign was made to prevent new infections of the AIDS virus among young people studying at the ENP/TTC KIRAMBO,GS CYAPA,GS RUGALI and GS GS JEAN DE LA MENAIS KIRAMBO.
It was about raising awareness on the AIDS virus and tuberculosis which is organized by ACCESS TO HEALTH, RBC in collaboration with the Ministry of Health.
It is a campaign targeting 15-24-year-olds and youth in general with the theme “THERE WILL BE TOMORROW WITH THE VIRUS THAT CAUSES AIDS, PREGNANCY AND THE UNEXPECTED.”
Hakizimana Emmanuel, who represented Access to Health, said that this campaign should focus on teenagers between the ages of 15-24 and young people in general, ‘the citizen realizes that he is the one who has the first responsibility for his life.
Hakizimana Emmanuel was the representative of Access to Health Emmanuel continued to ask the people to use the services provided in the Health Centers and asked the youth to go to the Services provided in the youth room especially that this room is located in all the health centers.
The head of Kirambo Health Center TWAGIRUMUKIZA Theodore said that the lack of information about the AIDS virus is one of the reasons why young people engage in bad habits including prostitution, asking them to avoid temptations that would lead to new infections of the AIDS virus.
One of the young people says that after this campaign, she realized that AIDS exists and there are measures she has taken, Vumilia Maombe Divine who studies at GS JEAN DE LA MENAIS Kirambo said: “We were embarrassed to buy condoms at the market, but after we were told that the service is also provided in the health centers, we are going to participate in it, and to encourage our friends to avoid the AIDS virus.
Clarisse, who studies at GS RUGALI, also says that this campaign has benefited them a lot, including knowing their health status and increasing their knowledge on how to prevent AIDS.
The campaign focuses on free HIV testing, providing them with protective measures such as condoms and tracking people who are already infected.
The campaign was carried out through various games including the football game “Football” which brought together GS JEAN DE LA MENAIS KIRAMBO and GS Rugali and the handball game “Volleyball”, which brought together ENP/TTC Kirambo and GS CYAPA where the participants of these games they were rewarded by the teams that took the trophies and were given them.