By all data presented young people are the ones most at risk for contracting HIV/AIDS. It is with that fact in mind that UNICEF today held a forum to get that sector of the population's ideas and input on the manner in which the epidemic is currently being addressed. The hope is to design better programs that will target them specifically. Facillitator Cherene Valerio explains.
Cherene Valerio - Facillitator
“We want to have their opinion and what they think about the services that we have here in Belize and whether it is youth friendly. And hopefully at the end of the day we'll have a core group that will work together with other people from UNICEF to come up with a youth declaration, in terms of how we can provide better services for young people and terms of information and all that.”
"The importance is to get the young people's opinion mainly. We need to hear from the young people mainly because the services are for them and its better to have young people rather than consultants."
There were more than 80 youth participants at today's forum. Information obtained from today's gathering will be used to formulate a youth declaration on HIV and AIDS. This will be presented to the media and disseminated to youth organizations in the hope of raising awareness.