LOCAL NEWS THE RISING NEPAL (DAILY)

Sex education stressed to contain spread of AIDS

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Lalitpur, Dec. 18: Speakers at a function here today stressed the need of Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) education among the youths and adolscents of the country for generating awareness about population activities and controlling sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS.

The Family Planning Association of Nepal (FPAN) organised workshop had a brainstorming regarding the significance of SRH education to the youths, who can play a vital role for controlling the STD and HIV/AIDS in the country.

With a view to making SRH a success story in this Himalayan Kingdom, the FPAN had launched the sexual and reproduction health project in 1999 in association with European Community (EC) and United Nations Population Activities (UNFPA). Today’s workshop was basically focused on the achievements and challenges of the ongoing project which is completing next year.

Subhash Pradhan, general secretary of FPAN, maintained that the SRH Project had a tremendous impact on the community where it was launched in districts like Kavre, Dang, Kailali, Kanchanpur and Achham.

Meanwhile, he added that to provide maximum information about SRH to the young people of the country there should not be four to five years’ time. "Because short term project cannot generate quick results or impact on young peoples’ attitude and behaviours," he said demanding the extention of the project period. The FPAN is having dialogue with the donor agencies for the continuation of the project in a phase wise manner.

The SRH education project aims to empower young people aged between 12 to 24 years in five districts to adopt safer sexual and reproductional behaviour.

General secretary Pradhan said also the FPAN has formulated the new stretagic plan (2001 - 2005) and the programme has been prioritised according to the new programme thrusts.

The main objectives of the project is to involve youths in planning, programming, implimenting and evaluating the process to endure their partnership and ownership to the programme.

Representative of UNFPA said that along with Nepal this project was launched in seven countries of Asia. He also said that the experiences achieved by Nepal in this regard should be shared with other six countries.

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