Health organisations have called upon the media to play a role in creating awareness and push for accessibility of condoms in secondary schools.

The call was made during a one-day media advocacy workshop aimed at involving the media in making the campaign a success.

The National Coordinator of Ihorere Munyarwanda (AIMR), Aimable Mwananawe, said that the media reaches a large number of people and that their role was essential for the campaign to succeed.

"We want to reinforce our partnership with the media because they are very helpful in behavioural change communication and sensitising the public on why this campaign is relevant in helping our youth,” Mwananawe said.

He dismissed suggestions that condoms were associated to promiscuity.

The Programmes Manager of Health Development Initiative, Cassien Havugimana, said they would soon organise talk-shows and consultative meeting at the provincial level over the issue. He said parents and school heads were among those targeted in the consultations.

Havugimana stressed that the media can play a big role in changing people’s mindset and to end all negative cultural perceptions towards accessibility of condoms in schools.

"Raising awareness is essential in promoting policy change and creating a more enabling environment for the protection and promotion of sexual and reproductive health among the youth,” he noted.

He said that, so far, there hasn’t been any resistance towards the campaign, "meaning that people now realize the significance of making condoms available in schools.”

Ends