Developing advocacy plan for combating HIV/AIDS stressed

DHAKA, Bangladesh, Aug 7 (BSS) - Speakers at a meeting here today
underscored the need for developing a concrete advocacy plan for
raising awareness, improving knowledge and changing behaviour of
young people so they can work on their own in combating HIV/AIDS
pandemic.

Everyday around 6,000 youths are being affected with
HIV/AIDS throughout the world. A large section of population in
Bangladesh belongs to youth group that needs to be equipped with
information, they said.

They were speaking at the closing ceremony of a month-long
seminar on "Awareness raising on HIV/AIDS for youths in
Bangladesh" organized by the National Association of UNESCO Clubs
in Bangladesh in cooperation with Bangladesh National Commission
for UNESCO and UNESCO Headquarters at BNCU conference hall,
Palashy- Nilkhet, Dhaka, said a press release.

M Mahbubuddin Chowdhury, Secretary-General of the
organization presided over the meeting while Dr Md Mahmudul
Hassan, Secretary, Bangladesh National Commission for UNESCO,
journalist Gias Kamal Chowdhury, AHM Shamsul Muktadir, UNESCO
fellow and Dr Halida Hanum Khondoker participated in the
function.

The objective of the seminar was to develop advocacy skills
among youths and adolescents, enabling them to advocate among
youth groups and to the policymakers on prevention of HIV/AIDS.