Care (Condom are Reliable and essential)

Condom Awareness Week Campaign (#CondomWeek2021), a pre-international condom day campaign

Condom Awareness Week (#CondomWeek2021) Campaign is a yearly weekly campaign (from February 8th – 12th) inaugurated in this year of 2021 that is conducted before the official celebration of International Condom Day (ICD), on every February 13th. The whole world is substantially committed towards prevention of pregnancies and STIs mainly HIV/AIDS and Community Health Boosters has been having a light eye on this agenda more so in youth and adolescent perspectives.

As a response to the predicament challenge of new HIV/AIDS and Other STIs, and Unwanted Teenage Pregnancies among Rwandan Youth and Adolescents which might have been being aggravated by Covid-19 pandemic, Community Health Boosters (CHB) through its yearly Condom Awareness Week Campaign, has organized and implemented a Virtual awareness raising campaign aimed at promoting the use of condoms through awareness raising, behavior change and distribution of condoms as means of preventing unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV/AIDS. In partnership with the Ministry of Health (MoH), Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC), USAID-INGOBYI Activity, and Society for Family Health (SFH) was able to reach more than 435,687 people on social medias with the big count of youth and adolescents. Again, CHB in partnership with SFH-Rwanda, was able to distribute a total of 27, 000 male condoms in University Campuses and Youth-friendly Centers.
Due to Covid-19 restrictive measures, at its inauguration and very first celebration Condom Week 2021 was conducted Virtually through social media including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, Press Medias and News Papers under the theme “Use Condom, Be Safe”.
WAYFORWARD AND CALL FOR ACTIONS:
CHB basing on the recommendations from beneficiaries and its existing commitments towards prevention of unwanted/teenage pregnancies and new HIV/AIDS Infections is proposing the below Action road map and recommendations:
ACTIVITIES:
★ Increasing the number of our beneficiaries by extending the areas of reach (Extension and Continuous distribution of condoms in all Universities in Rwanda and Youth-friendly Centers).
★ Conduction of many awareness raising campaigns to break myths, stigma, misconceptions and cultural barriers around the condom to normalize its use in the community.
★ Recording and Producing a Demonstration Video on proper and effective use of the condoms
RECOMMENDATIONS:
CHB is calling for multi-stakeholders’ partnership including MoH, RBC, Local and International CSOs, Private and Public Entities working on ASRH/FP and prevention of HIV/AIDS to contribute at their ability in the below parts;
● Donation of Condoms
● Financial Support for the Campaign activities and related materials including banners, flyers, and Edutainment Animated Video, etc.
● Covering the Fees for TV Shows and Radio Talks

RELATED ARTICLES:
https://igihe.com/amakuru/u-rwanda/article/urubyiruko-rwo-mu-mashuri-makuru-na-kaminuza-rwahawe-udukingirizo-ibihumbi-27

https://inyarwanda.com/inkuru/103089/musanzemu-gihe-hizihizwa-umunsi-wa-saint-valentin-urubyiruko-rwahuguwe-ku-ikoreshwa-ryagak-103089.html

https://www.newtimes.co.rw/news/varsity-students-body-campaign-dismantle-stigma-around-condom-use

https://www.thecampus.rw/post/view/does-youth-know-that-use-of-condom-is-safer-and-fun-than-acquiring-stds-and-unwanted-pregnancies

https://inyarwanda.com/inkuru/103075/umuryango-community-health-boosters-wasoje-icyumweru-cyahariwe-ubukangurambaga-ku-ikoreshw-103075.html

By the end of 2021, about 38.4 million people were living with HIV and 2/3 of them were in Africa (WHO, 2022). According to the UNAIDS estimates, 227,356 people were living with HIV in Rwanda by the end of December 2021. Though the HIV prevalence among the general population in Rwanda has stabilized and maintained at 3% among the aged 15-64 over the past 15 years, the high prevalence of new HIV infections among young people and adolescents (aged 15-24) is very alarming.
Research has shown that the use of condoms as means of HIV prevention among sexually active youths have been declining over the past years due to various factors. This is a threat to not only their lives but to their sex partners and their cycles. For instance, the Rwanda Demographic Health Survey (RDHS 2019-2020) reported that 5% of women aged 15-19 have begun childbearing. The figures represent the teenagers who can acquire or transmit HIV/AIDS and other STIs. “Where there is pregnancy, so can be HIV/AIDS or other STIs”.
In addition, RDHS reported that 59% of young women and 57% of young men aged 15-24 have comprehensive knowledge of HIV. While the lack of information about HIV prevention and treatment is thought to be a key contributing factor to the rise of new HIV infections among young people and adolescents, addressing this issue can contribute immensely to achieving zero new HIV infections.

Against this background, UNESCO in partnership with COMMUNITY HEALTH BOOSTERS successfully planned and conducted the one-month “SIDA Ntaho Yagiye (HIV/AIDS Is Not Over) Social media campaign to raise awareness of HIV prevention, reduce HIV stigma, and promote HIV testing, prevention, and treatment among young people and adolescents. The campaign also reminded young people that they have to keep fighting against HIV/AIDS. While Young people and adolescents being the highly affected by this issue and are more on social medias, to reach more of them, this campaign was conducted massively through distinguished social media platforms (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, etc.).
The campaign was conducted within a period of one month (From 15 May to 15 June, 2023) and throughout this whole period, the daily message posters were shared widely and massively on distinguished social medias. Briefly, the campaign goal was to reach 300,000 people on social media with distinguished messages on HIV Prevention, Treatment, Testing and Stigma but the reach gone beyond expectations and directly reached a total of 430,694 people on Twitter, and 86,780 on Instagram , making the campaign goal to be achieved at 172.5 % without those reached indirectly through other social medias and participation of distinguished individuals.

Campaign about the role of CSOs, key and vulnerable populations in reducing the new HIV infections and ensuring that people living with HIV have the same opportunities as all others.

World AIDS Day is global health day founded in 1988 observed each year on December 1 and it is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV, and remember those who have died. During 2020, the whole world celebrated it under the theme “Global Solidarity, Shared Responsibility” calling to Government, CSOs and other stakeholders to join hands together in fight against HIV/AIDS. Through our “CARE” Program, we are very committed to the World Agenda of fighting against HIV/AIDS through empowering the youth to create the next generation free from HIV/AIDS.
In partnership with Rwanda NGOs Forum, Medical Students Association of Rwanda, Community Health Boosters has participated in the pre-AIDs Day Celebration one week Campaign that aimed at highlighting the role of CSOs, key and vulnerable populations in reducing the new HIV infections and ensuring that people living with HIV have the same opportunities as all others. Due to Covid-19 prevention restrictive measures, this campaign was conducted mainly virtually via social media campaign, Radio and T.V shows and Communities by distributing condoms. The campaign paid more focus on raising awareness and reminding the Rwandan Community about HIV transmission prevention and control measures including, practicing protected and safe sex using the condom, voluntary testing, use of ARVs for the HIV positive people, proper disposal and handling of sharp objects, etc.
On Nov 25th, 2020 we were invited on Radio Rwanda to discuss about “The role of Young People in Preventing New HIV Infections”. The discussion paid more focus on the myths, misconceptions and behaviors around the adoption of HIV prevention measures and use of related services among the Rwandan Youth.

In addition, we have distributed more than 14,000 condoms in distinguished Campuses of University of Rwanda as one way of preventing new HIV infections among university students. It is by the youth’s interventions the world will achieve the future free from new HIV Infections. This way, more commitments, investments and solidarity are collectively needed to empower the youth through capacity building and integrating them into the agenda of fighting against new HIV infections through creating for them a space in decision making, HIV Policy and Strategic plans’ design.