The Sunday Mail
Online Reporter
The lack of adequate education and awareness of HIV and AIDS issues among the male youth is placing the segment at risks of infection, the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs Oliver Chidawu has said.
He said these remarks while officiating at a donation of bicycles by the National AIDS Council (NAC) to youth mentors under the ‘Brotha 2 Brotha’ banner.
100 bicycles were today handed over to Brotha 2 Brotha mentors in Harare Metropolitan Province by NAC in support of empowering young boys in sexual and reproductive health issues.
“Young people are lagging behind as compared to other population groups in terms of HIV knowledge including young men. 610 000 new HIV infections were recorded among youths (15 – 24 years) and 41 percent of these young men, according to the Zimbabwe Demographic Health Survey (ZDHS 2016),” said Minister Chidawu.
“Currently, Zimbabwe as a country has adopted the United Nations mantra ‘leaving no one behind’, and yet the boys seemed to have been overlooked hence the adoption of the Broth 2 Brotha prevention model, which is being implemented alongside the Sista 2 Sista prevention model in the HIV and AIDS response.”
He added that the bicycles will help the Brotha 2 Brotha initiative to also spread information on Covid-19 in communities.
