By Golden Kang’oma

Salima, August 2, Mana: Salima District Health Office (DHO) has it was worried with the increase of Sexual Transmitted Infection's (STI’s) among youth in the district which has been attributed to lack of knowledge and information.

The development was revealed during a community service fair which was organized by Center for Youth Empowerment and Civic Education (CYECE) in collaboration with Salima DHO in the Area of Senior Tradition Authority (TA) Makanjira.

Speaking on the sidelines of the fair, Anti-Retro Therapy (ART) Coordinator for Salima District Hospital, Lucia Matambo revealed that from January to June, 2023, the district has registered 74 percent increase in STI cases in youth ranging from the ages of 10 to 35.

She said that, "The situation is very worrisome as we are receiving more STI cases, and this is putting most of the youth at risk of getting HIV, if they are not careful.”

Matambo said the initiative by CYECE would help most of the youth to have vast knowledge on Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) related information as most youth had no knowledge and it would help to reduce STI cases.

District Coordinator for CYECE, Aggie Chan’g said they organized the fair to ensure that young people have access to SRH and make sure that they have the right information which they can easily share with others.

“Our aim is to make sure that adolescent’s girls and young women have access to different sexual and reproductive health services and information, so the program is a live reality that most young people in our rural communities do not complete their education because of several challenges,” she said.

Chan’g said that they are impressed with how most youths have patronized the event and how they have accessed the services that were being rendered.

One of the youths, Lucia Hassan said that the initiative has helped most of the youth to access quality health services and take off some myths about SRH that surrounded them.

CYECE with funding from amplified change are implementing a Sexuality Education for Transformation (SET) project in the area of TA’s Makanjira and Kuluunda.