Minsk, 16 March 2006 - “Being healthy is trendy!” – claim the organizers of the action with the same name. Its final events took place yesterday in Minsk. The action was intended to attract attention of the public, particularly young people, to the problem of HIV/AIDS.

The action launched in July 2005 was held within the framework of the joint project of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Belarusian Ministry of Health titled “HIV/AIDS Prevention and Treatment in the Republic of Belarus”. The information support was provided by a newspaper for teenagers “TeenAge” and Radius FM radio station.

During the action young people were asked to fill in a special questionnaire form and to send it to the organization committee. Young people from all regions of Belarus gave answers to the questions such as “Why shouldn’t you take drugs?”, “Why do teenagers risk to get infected with HIV?” and others. Over 10 thousand young people aged 16-17 years took part in the action.

Ludmila Bliznuyk, Coordinator of Information and Education Components of the UNDP Project said that “the task of the action, notably establishment of a dialogue with teenagers on adoption of a healthy lifestyle and prevention of HIV/AIDS, has been successfully achieved.”

By the decision of the jury, the 16-year-old Anastasiya Rul from Novogrudok became the winner. According to the organizers, her questionnaire was especially sincere and touching. Together with the Belarusian pop-singer Nils, who was one of the “faces” of the action, Anastasiya took part in a live programme of Radius FM and got the disk with an autograph of the singer. Later on the National Center for Hygiene, Epidemiology and Public Health hosted the award ceremony for the finalists of the action “Being healthy is trendy!”

The “HIV/AIDS Prevention and Treatment in the Republic of Belarus” project was launched in December 2004. It is funded by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

For further information please refer to the UNDP Public Information Assistant Vladislav Khilkevich, at +375 17 227 38 17, or the press-service of the project at the following phones: +375 17 276 25 93, +375 29 403 96 44, +375 29 662 41 84.

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