Youths Take to Social Media for HIV Info
The project is being funded by the U.S President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief –(PEPFAR) Small Grant programme.
NKHOTAKOTA, Malawi - Youth friendly peer led HIV prevention services and information on digital media platforms have been entrusted to address challenges that adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) and adolescent boys and young men (ABYM) encounter while seeking guidance and counselling on HIV prevention options, writes Annie Kenya.
Speaking yesterday during an orientation meeting with peer educators on the creation of social media platforms organized by one non-governmental organization (NGO)-Umunthu Plus at Dwangwa in the Traditional Authority Kanyenda in Nkhotakota district, Dalitso Mulembo- Senior assistant health promotion officer for Nkhotakota district hospital stressed on the need for peer educators to consider media ethical policies at all times.
"Spreading of fake or unverified information, creating fake accounts in particular are some of the unethical examples that media influencers have opted in a quest to gain more followers, so such malpractices are likely uncalled for in as far as promotion of health services and information is concerned," she said.
In her statement Umunthu Plus Programmes Manager, Faida Phiri said that their organization will spearhead the work of the peer educators by giving them monthly data bundles.
According to Phiri, Umunthu Plus is sponsoring the peer educators’ social media initiative through a project entitled person-centered and effective combination HIV prevention options.
One peer educator, Macdad Mwale said the initiative will in turn boost the establishment of mobile clinics for HIV prevention services and information.
"We have learnt how to create and use twitter, Tik-tok and facebook accounts and am happy because working with community health centers, Nkhunga in particular hasn’t been very effective in disseminating HIV preventive messages because many youths are shunning face to face services," he said.
Person-centered and effective combination HIV prevention options aims at contributing to reduced new HIV infection among three thousand (2,000) AGYW and ABYW in Dwangwa-Matiki and its surrounding areas within Tradition Authority (T/A) Kanyenda in the district.
The project is being funded by the U.S President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief –(PEPFAR) Small Grant programme.