Youth Department at Phalombe district council has applauded a youth organisation in the district for its project aiming at improving delivery and access to HIV services for young people living with HIV.
Phalombe Youth Arms Organisation alias PYAO launched the ViiV Healthcare sponsored project recently which seeks to help the targeted youths in this Covid-19 pandemic era.
Executive Director for PYAO, Vincent Thom, told the press in an interview that his organisation wants youths living with HIV to know their health rights hence the need to also link them up with health services providers.
“We want services that our fellow young people living with HIV access in our health facilities that should not be compromised in this Coronavirus period.
“We will support them through their networks including those from faith youth groups. We will bring them together and coordinate them with health structures in their respective communities,” said Thom.
In his remarks, District Youth Officer for Phalombe, Ian Sukali, said the initiative is a welcome development as it will capacitate the knowledge about health rights to the young people living with HIV together with Covid-19 preventive messages.
“It’s a first kind of project targeting Y+ networks since their establishment so this is a great opportunity to orient them about their health rights and link them with the health department. We are happy as the department to have this,” said Sukali.
The six-month project which will cost about 13,999 British Pounds (Mk13,349,932.75) is expected to be completed by the end of December this year.
