According to the Demographic Health Survey of 2013, the HIV prevalence in The Gambia is still below 2% (1.9%).
At the forum, Gibril Sanneh, Municipal AIDS coordinator disclosed that the disease is silently on the rise affecting people between the ages of 15 to 49 years.
Sanneh reminded that youth are the backbone and future leaders of any country, adding that they are the cream of society and hence should be jealously safeguarded to transit into adulthood without contracting diseases like HIV.
“In that regards raising the awareness of young people and building their capacity on how to protect themselves from HIV and other sexually transmitted infections is quite paramount. It will go a long way to curtailing the spread of HIV amongst young people.”
Also speaking, Ahmad Jobe, chairperson Youth and Development in Kombo North District Red Cross Youth Committee, urged young people especially Red Cross Volunteers to listen keenly and participate fully in the day’s discussion.
“Ask as much questions as possible to ensure that they are very clear about all the HIV facts presented to them.”
This day sensitization on HIV, he said, would enhance the capacity of participants to live a healthy live, further imploring on the participants to take the training seriously and share the knowledge gained with their peers who are not opportune to attend the training.
In his vote of thanks, Ebrima Sey Link Leader at Kunkujang Keitaya Home Link used the opportunity to thank his colleagues for their time to answer to a call for self-empowerment.
“Building one’s capacity on HIV prevention would enable all and sundry to healthily coexist with HIV without being infected, hence the first case of HIV was diagnosed in the Gambia in 1986, a time all the participants weren’t born.”
