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AIDS, HIV
and STI awareness project |
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Azafady
is currently developing a HIV/AIDS and STI education
and awareness programme in the urban area of Fort Dauphin.
This will provide the youth with the opportunity to
have access to the facts about HIV/AIDS and STI transmission,
empowering them to make informed choices and ‘Take
Control’ of their own sexual health. Azafady is
a leading member of the Fort Dauphin “Health Development
Platform”, which is a dynamic group of interested
parties made up of the Mayor, the Ministry of Health,
Azafady, and other local NGOs. This platform is responsible
for designing, implementing, and monitoring all work
in Anosy on the key health issues affecting the local
population, such as malaria, STIs, HIV and AIDS, infectious
diseases and malnutrition. |
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After carrying out a pilot study it appears that the
young people of Fort Dauphin have a superficial understanding
of HIV/AIDS, but lack the more in depth knowledge about
what exactly it is, what it does to the body and exactly
how it is passed on. They require further information
to allow them to fully understand this complicated subject
matter and protect themselves. It is clear that the
greatest lack of knowledge is amongst the sexually inexperienced
13-16 age group. While there is understanding that HIV/AIDS
exists, there are still significant numbers of young
people who are having unprotected sex and are at risk
of catching, and passing on, this deadly disease. |
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This project aims to:
- Increase
public awareness of HIV/AIDS and STI’s.
- Provide
educational resources for young people living in
Fort Dauphin regarding the effects of HIV/AIDS and
STI’s and how to avoid contracting them.
- Advise
people (in particular women) that having an STI
can greatly increase their chances of contracting
the HIV/AIDS virus.
- Encourage
young people to purchase condoms and take control
of their sexual relationships.
- Provide
educational resources for young women regarding
the effects of STI’s and HIV/AIDS on unborn
babies.
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For the majority of young people in Sub-Saharan Africa
the most obvious obstacle to their sexual and reproductive
health is simply the lack of accurate information written
in a way they can understand and relate to. Another
external factor that increases the vulnerability of
young people to HIV/ AIDS is the lack of access to health
services, especially treatment for STI’s. |
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It is for these reasons that Azafady will use the production
of educational literature, interactive presentations,
the promotion of ‘Youth Days’ at local health
clinics and the setting up of a youth advisory group
as the building blocks for the ‘Take Control’
campaign. |
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For the purpose of this particular education programme
we are primarily concerned with the younger generation
(13-25 year olds) of which there are approximately 13,944
in the town of Fort Dauphin (Mayors office, Fort Dauphin)
in order to change sexual practices at an early stage.
This group will be targeted through: |
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- Schools
- Sporting
events
- Bars /
nightclubs
- Music
- Radio
- Public
meeting places such as the Town Hall
- Clinics
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The overall aim of this programme is to foster an awareness
and understanding of the issues through a combination
of these approaches, leading to a further use of condoms
and other preventive methods, thus hopefully lowering
the rate of infection. |
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Downloads: |
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