Save youths from HIV/Aids

Terming the teenagers as high-risk group, they said most of the young people have very limited knowledge of HIV/Aids because society makes it difficult for them to obtain necessary information.

The workshop on 'Young People and HIV/Aids' was organised by Life, a UN-associated NGO, at its office at Lalmatia in the capital. Experts and 35 representatives from 10 different NGOs took part in it.

The speakers urged the NGOs, development partners and the government to take initiative so that the awareness programme about HIV/Aids can reach the young people throughout the country.

They said the youth are most vulnerable to HIV/Aids and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) as they have no counseling in this regard from their guardians and teachers.

Over 7,500 young people get infected by AIDS while about 8,200 die of the fatal disease across the world everyday, they added.

UNB Chairman and Life Advisor Amanullah Khan said over the years more than 60 million people have been infected with HIV globally, half of them belong to age group 15-24.

Sixty percent of all new HIV infections are among the young people belonging to 15-24 age group," said Kamrul Islam Sony, founding chairman of Life while presiding over the workshop.

"Despite over 15 years of international recognition of the need for education and communication to prevent HIV/Aids, young people still today have only limited opportunities to learn about the virus and disease," he said.

Dr Rezwan Hossain of Dhaka University, Founder of Performing Art Centre Poet Rezauddin Stalin, Acting Secretary of Life Monir Hossain Tutul, Salma Jahan of Children's Voice, Nayeema Islam of Youth Scholar's Council, Kutubuddin of NBSS, Shafiqul Islam of SKUS, Rajib H Khan of Pacific Samity and Engineer Rezwan Hossain of Abohoman attended the workshop moderated by Amirul Islam, senior programme officer of Life.