The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Speakers at a workshop said yesterday that overwhelming majority of the HIV patients in the country are below 25 years indicating that HIV/AIDS is rapidly spreading among the youths of 15-24 years age bracket.

If this trend continues the younger generation of the country will be severely affected, they warned.

They were speaking at the workshop on "Mainstreaming HIV and AIDS Prevention in Non-Formal Education (NFE) in Bangladesh" at the Mission Bhaban Auditorium of Dhanmondi in the capital.

It was organised by Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM) with the support of UNESCO.

DAM Executive Director M Ehsanur Rahman presided over the workshop, while Shymol Kanti Ghosh of Bureau of Non-Formal Education was present as chief guest. It was attended, among others, by UNESCO representative in Bangladesh Malama Meleisea and NASP Programme Manager Ferdous Alam Shibib.

MA Rashid, Director of DAM Training and Material Development Division, delivered the welcome address.

Speakers said HIV and AIDS Prevention in the country is very important to save our next generation.

The workshop was told that a package consisting of 8 materials or creating awareness on HIV and AIDS and life skill development has been developed earlier with the technical and financial support of UNESCO. This has been done following the age based literacy capacity of adults.

They hoped that these materials would help majority of the people of the country to become conscious about the severe consequences of HIV and AIDS.