BALANGA CITY (PIA) -- About 40 youth leaders in Bataan pledged to be advocates in the fight against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and tuberculosis (TB).
 
During the second leg of the Kilos Kabataan Kontra HIV at TB webinar, Sangguniang Kabataan Bataan Federation President Precious Manuel vowed that they will use their influence to disseminate the correct information about these illnesses.
 
“I urge my fellow youth to responsibly use the social media platforms they have to empower our constituents,” she added.
 
In his message, PIA Regional Director William Beltran stressed the crucial role of the youth in the battle against HIV and TB. 

“We believe our youth can do so much in this campaign. You’ve been very active in a lot of platforms and in a lot of advocacies. We’ve seen our youth capitalize in taking advantage of the good the internet or the social media can provide us. Please use that platform responsibly to your advantage and use it to empower other people through accurate, timely, and relevant information that could save other people’s lives,” he said. 
 
Beltran added that while the government is doing its best to the respond to different healthcare problems amid the pandemic, it needs support in addressing the present situation. 
 
“The government sees our young people as driving forces in at least mitigating all of these challenges. A lot of people have been assisting already our government in terms of responding to Covid-19 in its efforts and initiatives to reopen economy. But we need more, especially our youth, because our youth can really help us continue our battle with other health concerns like HIV-AIDS and TB, which remain threats to our people’s health,” Beltran furthered.
 
Kilos Kabataan Kontra HIV at TB is a series of webinars co-organized by PIA and United States Agency for International Development TB Platforms in partnership with Department of Health and the Sangguniang Kabataan Federations of Central Luzon. (CLJD/CASB-PIA 3)