TANZANIA: Better youth AIDS programmes needed

Changes in Tanzania's perception of the youth are needed to tackle HIV/AIDS, an official of the NGO Africa Medical and Relief Foundation (AMREF) has said.

Michael Mochaku, an adolescent sexual and reproductive health specialist, said existing HIV/AIDS programmes for adolescents were just "routine".

"We need to change the mentality of seeing youth [people aged between 10 and 24] as children. Instead of providing the youth with the information they have a right to, we have been blaming them for their health problems," Mochaku told the UN news service PlusNews.

He said despite the positive change in attitudes towards the youth in recent years, access to HIV/AIDS information was limited to only 15 percent of those living in rural areas.

Mochaku urged the government and international organisations to step up efforts to reach young adults in remote areas.

Theme (s): Care/Treatment - PlusNews, Children,

[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]