The Botswana National Youth Council (BNYC) on Saturday started their campaign in the fight against HIV and AIDS by launching the Month of Youth Against HIV/AIDS at the National Stadium.

Government in 1997 designated March as the month in which young people, in collaboration with various partners and stakeholders, hold HIV and AIDS sensitisation, community mobilisation and advocacy campaigns throughout the country. This year's campaign theme is 'Committed to Zero Transmission Lifestyles; Youth Leading by Keeping the Promise to Stop AIDS'. It was drawn from the World AIDS Day theme of 'Stop AIDS, Keep the Promise', which runs for five years.

The National AIDS Coordinating Agency (NACA) has commited funds amounting to over P800,000 for BNYC to embark in maturing and enforcing its campaign strategy to cover most of the villages in the country. The youth organisation in the past has not been able to cover most parts of the country with their campaigns due to lack of funds.

BNYC will take its campaigns to various villages including Kavimba, Sankonyo, Mababe, Khwai, Hunhukwe, Mabutsane, Hukuntsi and Kang where young people and other stakeholders will engage in debates, public lecturers, seminars and panel discussions to find ways of better sensitising them.

Officially launching the campaign, Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Major General Moeng Pheto said: "These campaigns, together with other national efforts, have no doubt contributed to improvement in the HIV/AIDS strategic areas of behaviour change communication, youth friendly health services and policy and advocacy".

He said Botswana has shown and provided leadership to the world in the fight against HIV and AIDS. The theme, according to Pheto, implores youth to take personal responsibility and commit to positive lifestyles to avoid the spread of HIV.

"This includes providing leadership, testing for HIV, upholding such prevention measures as abstinence, faithfulness and using a condom," advised Pheto, adding that taking the lead in accessing services will promote respect for "value and sanctity of human life". Pheto said despite impressive gains in addressing HIV and AIDS, there is still much work to be done in order to win the battle. The young people must remember that the country continues to experience unsustainable high infection rates as evidenced by the National HIV Prevalence Rate of 17.1 percent in 2004.

"We appear to be witnessing a decline in overall HIV prevalence among pregnant women at antennal clinics from 37.4 percent in 2003 to 32.4 percent in 2006, "particularly among the younger age groups, the 15 - 19 and 20 - 24 years," said the youth minister. Young people were encouraged to test for HIV. One of the youth role models living with the virus, Maria Motse. who is Miss Stigma Free said: "It is very important to know your HIV status so that you can plan you life properly". She said today government has programs aimed at helping people who have the virus such as Antiretroviral Therapy (ARV), prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) and IPT.

"I am on ARVs and I am living a normal life just like anyone," encouraged Motse, adding that she has a four year old child who is HIV negative. The activist, however, pleaded with the youth who were mainly school children to abstain and focus on their studies. "Please abstain to live longer," she advised.