More young people in Gulu city believe that education and sensitization about the spread of HIV/AIDs has to be conducted in schools as a priority.
The prevalence of HIV/AIDs among young people in Northern Uganda currently stands at 5.3 percent.
According to the second runner up in the 2023 Face of Gulu city competition, Mitchell Nassa Mic, young people spend alot of time in school, "that means they are having sex from there, that is why we have to remind them and educate them that HIV/AIDs is here and it's real."
Mitchell adds that some young people do not believe in the existence of the disease.
While Trevor Emojel a National Youth coordinator at AHF Uganda Cares says young people are curious and tend to experiment with drugs and alcohol which is one of the biggest drivers of HIV/AIDs.
In an interview with two students of Gulu central high school in Gulu, the male and female students aged 20 and 18 respectively believe that not enough is being done to sensitize young people especially those in school about the spread of HIV/AIDs.
Trevor Emojel also says that 37 percent of new HIV/AIDs infections are within the young people, and thus a need for more concerted efforts in the fight against the spread of the disease.
It is with these statistics that the Gulu inspector of schools David Obol says that "young people will only develop the country when they are healthy".
