JUBA—In commemoration of the International Youth Day, Impact Health Organization will conduct a ‘condomize’ campaign in Eastern Equatoria State to sensitize adolescents on condom use to prevent sexually transmitted infections.
Wadala Peter, the representative of Shabab Le Shabab, said the awareness campaign on the use of condoms will be rolled out throughout August, in partnership with the UN population agency (UNFPA).
“We have a condomize campaign. To be healthy, we need to make sure we know how to use a condom,” he said. “So the condomize campaign will be rolled out throughout the month, and this is done by the Impact Health Organization (IHO) in Torit, Eastern Equatoria State.”
HIV prevalence in South Sudan is estimated at 1.6 percent among adults aged 15-49, with an estimated 200,000 people living with HIV. Poverty, lack of awareness, and limited access to sexual and reproductive health services contribute to the spread of the virus.
UNFPA said engaging key populations with HIV prevention messages and condom distribution in Juba City in South Sudan has yielded some results towards the reduction of new HIV infections.
The CONDOMIZE campaign is an innovative and effective approach that engages communities, focusing on attraction rather than promotion to draw its audience.
It focuses on demand generation and promotion of condoms in the country and enables the country to harness the full potential of the condom as an effective and cost-effective option and to maximize their contribution in averting HIV infections and improving maternal and reproductive health outcomes.