Dar es Salaam — At least 132,000 young people in Tanzania below the age of 15 live with HIV/Aids, it has been revealed.

The Tanzania Commission for Aids (Tacaids) executive chairperson, Dr Fatma Mrisho, said that this called for concerted efforts to equip them with information and services based on specific needs and situations.Current national statistics show that 60 per cent of all new HIV/Aids infections involve young people below 24 years of age. It is estimated that 32 per cent of Tanzanians are between 10 and 24 years old.

Dr Mrisho observed that young people needed to access appropriate non-judgmental information guiding them for a healthy productive life.Speaking at the launch of a booklet titled "Young People Living with HIV and Aids" yesterday in Dar es Salaam, she said Aids among the youth was worrying.The booklet was published under the Tanzanian German Programme to Support Health (TGPSH) of the German Cooperation Office.

Dr Mrisho noted: "Most young people, especially young women living with HIV/Aids, do not have full information. The situation is worse for young people belonging to marginalised groups and those in most risk situations."

According to her, young people with HIV/Aids continue living in fear thinking that they will not be able to meet their dreams. She added that awareness will help them understand themselves better.

The TGPSH programme manager, Dr Inge Baumgarten, noted that stigma and discrimination around HIV and Aids were still among the big challenges for individuals, their friends and loved ones, their families and communities living in Tanzania.

She explained: "Young people aged 10 to 24 years form one of the most important target groups for sexuality and HIV interventions - be it prevention, care or treatment."

She said they have several questions preoccupying them beyond HIV and are often left ignored for questions about puberty, relationships, love and sexuality.

She said in realising the gap, in 2000 the TGPSH started embarking on developing question - and answer booklets that responded to what young people really want to know about sexuality, HIV and Aids as well as reproductive health.

The development of the information material involved other stakeholders and followed a systematic and rigorous participatory process that involved young people (target group) by giving them opportunities to ask the questions they had. There are now 13 series of booklets in place.

Over the years the programme has supported the distribution of more than a million sets of the booklets to target groups, NGOs and individuals working with the youth.