adminTawanda Bote in Malawi
THE fourth edition of the Southern African Regional Students and Youth Consortium (SARSYC) conference on health and education ended in Malawi yesterday.
Former Health Minister and Child Care Minister, Dr David Parirenyatwa, and the Society for AIDS in Africa (SAA) assured delegates they will take SARSYC onto the continental stage.
The SAA is an African-led and owned organisation that promotes and institutes policies which support governments’ national responses and approaches to fight HIV.
It also fights emerging viral infections, and strengthens health systems in Africa. Dr Parirenyetwa’s address touched the hearts of delegates from Zambia, Mozambique, Botswana, Swaziland, Lesotho, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Malawi.
“It is time for an organisation like SARSYC to come on board so that we work together. This should be immediate.
“There should be no other reason to postpone. We want the youths to contribute towards efforts to curb the spread of HIV in Africa,” Dr Parirenyatwa said.
“We have the highest HIV prevalence, among young people, in Africa and we need to do a thorough research to establish reasons behind the spread of this epidemic.
“This is the time to act.
“I am convinced that whatever we have been doing, there is something missing,” he said.
The SARSYC conference’s guest of honour, Malawian Youth and Sports Minister, Richard Chimwendo Banda, said:
“It is an important conference because it brings together SADC countries to discuss mutually shared problems that young people face in our respective countries. Issues like drug and substance abuse, Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), teenage pregnancies and unsafe abortions.
“It needs Parliament to be involved in these conversations because they are tied to policies and laws in our respective countries in Southern Africa.”
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter