Gasabo District, in partnership with a local organisation, Rwanda Development Organisation (RDO), has launched an HIV/ AIDS awareness campaign to educate the youth in the district about prevention measures.

Under the theme, "Protecting and treating children with HIV/AIDS virus is everyone’s duty” the campaign was launched, yesterday, in Batsinda, in Kigali’s Gasabo District.

The year-long campaign targets youth in school and villages.

Eugene Rwibasira, the executive secretary of Rwanda Development Organisation, said the campaign targeted youth to ensure they remained healthy.

"We are focusing on youth because they are more prone to the virus. Studies have shown that teenagers constitute a big number of HIV positive people in Rwanda, that is why we want to prevent its spread,” Rwibasira said.

He urged the youth to avoid reckless behaviour in their everyday life by choosing good friends.

"We encourage children to assess behaviors of their peers as this will help them guarantee good friends to associate with. Society impact children in one way or another, that’s why we ask parents to monitor their children,” Rwibasira said.

He observed that modernity and evolution of social media is spoiling children at an early age, leading them to involve in risky sexual behaviors.

"Nowadays, teenagers share a lot of information using phones. They are using social networks to watch pornographic content, this is why we have to educate them about the impacts of all that,” Rwabasira added.

Ellen Nyiranyamibwa, the director of health in Gasabo District, said the campaign involves free HIV testing.

We want youth to know the different methods of HIV prevention to avoid new infections, Nyiranyamibwa said.

Celine Uwacu, 16, a student in G.S Kagugu Catholique told The New Times that sensitisations were needed to enlighten the youth about the dangers of HIV and how to prevent it.

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