Grenada government program tackles HIV infection and youth

Tuesday, October 14, 2003

ST. GEORGE'S, Grenada: The Grenada government yesterday announced the launch of a program to train Grenadian youths protecting themselves from HIV infection.

About 150 youths from across the island were participating in the 21-day training seminars, conducted by Grenada Red Cross, said project coordinator Dianne Roberts, of Grenada's youth ministry. 

The youths are then to return to their communities to lead a new round of local training sessions, she said.

"HIV/AIDS, drug use and abuse are major challenges threatening the productive capacity of the nation's youths and overall sustainable development," Prime Minister Keith Mitchell said Monday.

The program, funded by the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, also seeks to develop entertainment alternatives in an effort to dissuade youths from engaging in high-risk behavior.

The Caribbean has the world's second highest HIV infection rate of 2.4 percent, after Sub-Saharan Africa which has 8.8 percent.

Among Grenada's 90,000 population, officials recorded 129 new HIV cases and 106 AIDS-related deaths in 1984-2001.

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