>>BY CECILIA ACHIENG’>>
The National Syndemic Diseases Control Council (NSDCC) has launched a new campaign targeting young people in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
The campaign dabbed G’Jali focuses on raising awareness about HIV prevention, sexual and reproductive health, gender-based violence, mental wellness, and substance abuse.
The campaign targets individuals aged 10-24 years.
In the collaborative initiative bringing health education, HIV awareness, and mental wellness to the forefront for university students, NSDCC aims to address the knowledge gaps and empower adolescents and young people to make informed decisions about their sexual health.
Data from NSDCC shows that adolescents and young people aged 15-24 contribute about 42 percent of new HIV infections in the country.
The campaign was launched at the Technical University of Mombasa (TUM) on Friday, during an eventful afternoon that saw students engage in various activities.
Students gained practical knowledge on condom use, HIV & AIDS, and healthy lifestyle choices, empowering them to make informed decisions and become ambassadors of change in their communities.
The activities involved how to take care of health under the program called Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) on being aware of Condom use and its importance. They also took part in learning how to put on the Condom, steps to take before putting it and discarding it after use.
The organization also took part in taking the students through HIV &AIDS awareness, asking questions that revolved around how they perceive some diseases, how HIV is transmitted, and HIV prevention methods, and urging them to get tested for HIV and the importance of getting tested.
The students were also taken through alcohol, drug, and substance abuse, which is a major issue among the youth, especially those in university institutions.
They also provided knowledge on mental health, giving them measures on how to deal with the situations, and Gender-Based violence (GBV) issues.
