(VOVWORLD) - December 1 is World AIDS Day. Many communication activities are being conducted nationwide to raise public awareness about HIV/AIDS prevention and control. The Can Tho City Center for Disease Control has coordinated with the Department of Politics and Ideology of the municipal Department of Education and Training to organize a contest on HIV/AIDS prevention and control for local high school students. The contest is an annual activity aimed at building safe and healthy schools, preventing social evils, and strengthening HIV/AIDS prevention and control among high school students.
 A contest on HIV/AIDS prevention and control for local high school students was held in Can Tho city (photo: VOV) |
The contest attracted 30,000 students in the online round. In the final round, 10 teams from 10 high schools competed in 3 categories: knowledge, dramatizing the message of HIV/AIDS prevention, and demonstrating talent as a communicator at school.
The contest’s aim is to strengthen communication, improve knowledge of HIV/AIDS prevention and control, and encourage high school students to practice safe behavior in preventing HIV/AIDS infections.
 The contest attracted 30,000 students in the online round |
Le Thi My Uyen, an 11th grader at Thoi Lai High School, said: "During the contest, I participated in the theater competition, delivering a message about people living with HIV, and provided some data on people living with HIV/AIDS in the city. We hope to contribute to reducing the number of new HIV infections."
Since early this year the Can Tho CDC has coordinated with the education sector to carry out many communication campaigns on preventing HIV/AIDS infection and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), focusing on high school and middle school students.
Huynh Minh Truc, Director of the Can Tho CDC, said these events have addressed social stigmas and discrimination against people with HIV, joint efforts in HIV prevention, and misconceptions about HIV.
"The students brought props, costumes, and very good acting skills, and the script was also good, with supporting poems, rhymes, singing, and sound effects. Hopefully the upcoming contests will be even better. We intend to create a network of collaborators, especially school Youth Union secretaries and active union members, to participate in HIV prevention clubs and teams in schools and promote HIV prevention activities. The city's prevention activities are becoming more practical and useful," said Truc.