INFORMATION GAP AFFECTS EFFORTS TO FIGHT HIV AMONG ADOLESCENTS

 INFORMATION GAP AFFECTS EFFORTS TO FIGHT HIV AMONG ADOLESCENTS

By Wycliff Chigaga 

World Vision Malawi has challenged the media to intensify coverage and awareness campaigns to help in HIV prevention among adolescent girls and young women.

The charity has expressed concern that there is a huge gap in dissemination of information to the adolescent girls and young women constituency about confronting HIV.    

World Vision Malawi Communications and External Engagement Manager Charles Kabena, said the country must urgently address the issue as a survey by the AIDS Virus Education Research Trust shows that 60% of young people in Malawi between the ages of 15 and 24 do not have sufficient knowledge on HIV prevention.

Kabena added that youths are also at risk of contracting HIV because of early sexual activity and child marriages. 

He urged the media to help iron out such barriers to create a community where adolescent girls and young women become more knowledgeable on how to keep themselves and others safe.

Meanwhile media practitioners have hailed World Vision Malawi for engaging journalists on HIV and Aids issues which mostly affect adolescent girls and young women.

Among others one of the journalists Alice Msangambe said, "The workshop will help improve my reporting skills on HIV and Aids." 

Msangambe described the training as an eye opener qas she now has acquired knowledge on how to solicit very important information for her to be able to communicate through her stories effectively.

"In a long run this will help address issues of gender based violence especially towards adolescent Girls and Young Women who are mostly the victims," said Msangambe. 

World Vision Malawi conducted a 3 day workshop in Blantyre where they sensitized the media on the subject. 

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