The Youths Against HIV Discrimination (YAHD) conducted comprehensive HIV education at two public high schools in Alapere, Ketu, Lagos, Nigeria; including Comprehensive High School and Community High School, on August 18, 2022. The awareness programmes initiated the YAHD Campaign targeted at 10 senior high schools in Lagos, Nigeria, aimed at impacting 1500 Adolescent and Young People (AYP).
UNESCO Global Coordinator for HIV and AIDS Chris Castle said, “HIV education can help learners to not only develop and maintain safer behaviours, but also reduce stigma and discrimination towards people affected by, and living with, HIV.” As such, the YAHD campaign is one of the key instruments in tackling the distinctive stigma young people living with HIV face in a community where the rate of new HIV infections is increasing among AYP. This awareness was also aimed at improving the knowledge of these high schoolers about the myths and facts surrounding HIV, standard ways to prevent HIV and other sexually-transmitted diseases, with the use of educational pamphlets.
YAHD volunteers, including Rafiat Akinokun and Iyiola Oladunjoye used these educational pamphlets to educate the high school students and also engaged the students about their perspective on HIV prevention and control, stigma and awareness, general knowledge about the transmission of the virus. Cogent points were made to ensure that these students understand that people living with HIV can lead a normal life and should not be discriminated upon. It was also stated that, unlike other infectious diseases of public health importance such as polio and COVID-19 disease, no HIV vaccine has been licensed for public use. However, anti-retroviral therapies are available for people affected by HIV infection and adherence to this medication saves lives. They also made them understand that people living with HIV/AIDS can lead a healthy and fulfilled lives.
After completing the awareness section, YAHD volunteers also engaged the principals and teachers of the high schools to advocate for a need to include comprehensive sex education including awareness about HIV in the curriculums of high school students. It was also mentioned that support should be provided for adolescent and young people living with HIV to prevent stigma and discrimination that may impact their social and mental health.
YAHD strongly believes that awareness aimed at HIV prevention is important, but efforts toward eradicating HIV must also be aimed at improving treatment, care, support, and avoiding stigma and discrimination. Additionally, there should be increased efforts to meet the growing demands of young people. To this end, parents, ministries of health and education, school administrators, and other teachers should collaborate to create a shared agenda that will assist young people in making decisions that will lead to healthy and purposeful lives. We appreciate the support of Women Deliver and volunteers that have made this project possible.