Juba Peer Educators Trained On HIV/AIDS

This article was last updated on May 25, 2022

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The one week training that ended over the weekend at the Women’s Union is intended to equip the educators with HIV/AIDS knowledge and communication skills so as to inform the communities they come from about the disease.

“We train them on HIV/AIDS prevention so that they can help communicate to the communities on how they can prevent HIV/AIDS,” says SSUYAA’s director Mr. Wani Alex.

He added that the step is in an effort to ensure that there are not new infections and zero new deaths related to the disease.

Mr. Wani also urged them to demonstrate change if they are to see change in their communities.

Speaking to the peer educators, Stephen Nyombu said that he will go and inform his payam members of the disease.

Meanwhile another peer educator attending the training, Flora Michael has said that she has acquired more knowledge on the disease and called on unmarried people to go for a HIV/AIDS test before taking marriage decision or use a condom where they cannot avoid.

In March during a launch the Antenatal Clinic (ANC) surveillance report of 2012, the health ministry announced a reduction of 0.4% in HIV/AIDS prevalence in South Sudan.

The National Deputy Minister of Health Dr. Yatta Lori Lugor presided over the launch of the report that aimed at determining the prevalence and correlates of HIV and syphilis among pregnant women attending antenatal care in South Sudan and provide information for advocacy, HIV/AIDS programme and evaluation.

The report shows the Greater Equatoria region with highest rates with Western, Eastern and Central Equatoria states at 6.8%, 3.4% and 2.6% respectively.

Jonglei State has a rate of 1.3%, Lakes 2.3%, Western Bar El Ghazal 1.4%, Warrap 1.3%, Unity 1.3%, Upper Nile 2.1% and Northern Bar El Ghazal with the lowest rate of 0.3%.

Consistence in manning the use of the ABC strategy (Abstinence, Be faithful and use Condom) need to be encouraged further though the report shows many South Sudanese are using it well.