Articles and Analysies
A Giant Step to Combat HIV/AIDS /Ahmed Al Bahi
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Jun 28, 2008 - 10:59:54 AM

A Giant Step to Combat HIV/AIDS

Establishment of the Sudanese Youth Alliance against AIDS reflects official and popular concern with realizing a healthy society and is also indicative of the growing AIDS rates among the youth categories, alerting to the seriousness of the situation and dictating the urgency of expediting mobilization of efforts to combat this disease since AIDS is a grim threat to our economy, social life and the future of this and the coming generations.
The idea of the Sudanese Youth Alliance against AIDS came under an initiative by the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) following the formation of Sudan AIDS Control Program (SNAP) and the United Nations Joint Program for Combating AIDS (UNAIDS). A number of parties have participated in the deliberations on formation of the Sudanese alliance on the issues of youth and AIDS, including SNAP, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, UNFPA, the Red Cross and number of concerned ministries and organs. The address of Vice President Ali Osman Mohammed Taha before the Alliance yesterday in the Friendship Hall further affirmed the state's commitment at the highest level to this drive in order to break the silence barrier and to recognize the Alliance as a strategic national body for combating AIDS that embraces all the institutions and ministries of the state.

 An alliance with such a broad base is expected to shoulder the huge responsibility of mobilizing official and popular efforts for combating this fatal disease in addition to submitting periodical reports on the progress of its activities and benefiting from international experience and expertise in this field.

 Youth have a right to possess adequate information on AIDS so that they are equipped with the vital knowledge and skills to deal with the disease and adopt precautionary measures against it. They should also be encouraged to undergo voluntary checkups against the disease so as to come out with an environment free from AIDS.