Dr Johnson Oyeniyi, the Project Manager of KWASACA gave the advice in Ilorin at a sensitisation workshop organised by the agency in concert with the Ministry of Sports and Youth Development.

He stressed the need for people to become aware of the basic facts about HIV and AIDS in order to stop the spread of the disease.

Oyeniyi stressed that tangible efforts should be made to mobilise all stakeholders and potential victims to participate in the fight against the disease.

"The majority of the vulnerable people are youths. Therefore, the beneficiaries should sensitise their contemporaries to the risks of HIV and AIDS," he said.

Oyeniyi, however, called on the people to show love to persons living with HIV and AIDS to enable them to have a sense of belonging.

The project manager also urged the people to refrain from discriminating against persons living with HIV to guard against the temptation of driving them underground to spread the virus.

Oyeniyi urged the people to go for voluntary tests to ascertain their HIV status, adding, however, that being HIV positive did not translate to a death sentence.

Our reporter gathered that newly registered youth associations and leaders of students' unions of higher institutions in the state attended the programme.

(NAN)