The National AIDS Programme Secretariat (NAPS) has hailed the Ministry of Health’s HIV/AIDS Art Competition’s effectiveness in engaging youths about the disease.
At the prize giving ceremony hosted for winners at Hotel Tower recently,
Programme Manager Dr Shanti Singh said in order to reduce the spread of HIV, focus must be placed on shaping adolescent behaviour. Meanwhile, Health Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy said, “Art is not just a demonstration of talent that people have, art also is a documentation of the values our society promotes, and therefore these are activities that we must see as important in our lives.” He said the competition fostered partnerships among children, parents and teachers. Ramsammy said the teachers’ role has become even more important in instilling values in youths that will inform their character and ability to become productive citizens.
