Youth in the country have been argued to seek Sexual and Reproductive Health Services in health care centres to where they can also get information on HIV/AIDS Testing Service among others.
The statement was made on Wednesday during the first day of four day training which Youth Net and Counseling (YONECO) was conducting in Lilongwe with support from VIIV Healthcare.
The training wass about the project called Connect Malawi-Plus project which is targeting Lilongwe district on T/A Chitukula and Tsabango.
Speaking with reporters, Lilongwe District Youth Friendly Health Services Coordinator Andrew Phongolo said that the main objective of the project is to scale-up innovative peer-led actions addressing rising HIV rates and low access to Adolescent Friendly Health Services (AFHS) among hard to reach Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) in peri-urban community surrounding health facilities of Kang’oma , Area 18 and Bwaila in Lilongwe by June ,2025.
“The project provides a cost -effective, replicable model to lower HIV incidence, reduce HIV mortality, and improve health outcomes among vulnerable Adolescent Girls and young Women living in targeted communities,” he explained.
On her part, Assistant District Youth Officer for Lilongwe District Council Loveness Kasiya Masauko said that government is working tirelessly to make sure that youths, more especially adolescent girls and young women who are always reactant to issues to do with SRHS get needed information on time.
Masauko added by asking other organizations who are interested to join such initiative to lender a hand of help so that Malawi can be a better place to live.
One of the participants, Josephine Watson commended YONECO for such trainings which she said that have been productive to many youths in her area .
The project is targeting adolescent girls and young women aged from 16 to 24 years. The training is for peer mobilisers who will used to carry out the objectives of the project aged 15 to 20 years and have basic knowledge regarding HIV/AIDS.
