To
celebrate International Youth Day on 13 August 2006, youth volunteers
from the Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS) launched an HIV/AIDS
awareness campaign in the capital city of Kabul.
The theme of this year’s campaign is “Let’s
be aware of HIV/AIDS”. More than 50 male and female ARCS
youth volunteers participated in the awareness campaign. Some
20 barber shops and 16 beauty parlours in Kabul were targeted
by the campaign, as the volunteers spread HIV/AIDS information
by displaying posters and speaking with shop owners.
The awareness campaign focused on the prevention of HIV/AIDS
transmitted through infected blades during shavings. The youth
volunteers emphasised the need for barbers to use new blades
for every shaving and to wash their tools with antiseptic after
every usage. At the end of the awareness programme, all 20 barber
shops and 16 beauty parlours were provided with antiseptic materials.
“I would like to thank the ARCS youth volunteers who helped
me to get more information about the HIV/AIDS and the possible
ways of its transmission” said Mr. Bashir, owner of a
barber shop in Kabul. Furthermore, he requested the youth volunteers
to continue their efforts and expand the HIV/AIDS awareness
campaign outside the city of Kabul.
The awareness messages were well-received by the local shopkeepers,
and the campaign was generally given widespread local media
coverage through television broadcasts and printed stories in
the newspapers.
According to the latest information from the Afghan Ministry
of Public Health, the total number of persons infected with
HIV/AIDS in Afghanistan is 54. The ARCS HIV/AIDS program has
recently been started with support from the International Federation
of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. The HIV/AIDS program
is in the preliminary stage of implementation; as the ARCS is
preparing to develop a memory of understanding with the Afghan
ministry of education. The program aims to target 9000 students
through the awareness program in 2007.
“As ARCS youth volunteers, we need to stay united and
work on the HIV/AIDS awareness program to help the communities
learn about the infection and the possible ways of transmission”
said Ms Huma, ARCS youth volunteer.
The ARCS has more than 20,000 youth volunteers supporting different
welfare and community development programmes in rural and urban
areas of the country.
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| ARCS
youth volunteers during HIV/AIDS awareness campaign in
a barber shop. |
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