OTJIWARONGO: The Otjiwarongo Health Training Centre of the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) on Saturday organised an HIV/AIDS Sports Awareness Campaign at the Mokati Sports Stadium in the Orwetoveni township.

Organiser Daniel Opotamutale Ashipala told Nampa in an interview on Saturday that the campaign targeted youngsters here to get them ‘hooked’ on football and netball.

“We invited various sports teams of corporate companies to come and play against each other on a friendly basis. There was nothing to win, it was only to assist us to hold a successful HIV/AIDS awareness campaign, reaching our prime target audience,” said Ashipala.

He said it is assumed that most Namibians countrywide have heard of the basic facts of HIV/AIDS and how it could be passed on from one person to another.

“However, the Ministry of Health and Social Services is still concerned with the new infections being noted in the Otjozondjupa Region as well as the whole country,” said Ashipala.

They, therefore, organised these sports games, while conducting voluntary HIV/AIDS testing and counseling at the stadium.

By 13h00, over 30 youngsters and adults had been tested to know their HIV statuses.

Before the sports matches kicked off, discussions and information-sharing was done about HIV/AIDS, while brochures, T-shirts and posters were distributed among the audience in a quest to spread information on HIV/AIDS prevention.

Corporate sports clubs of the Namibian Police Force (NamPol), Namibian Defence Force (NDF), Cenored, Otjiwarongo Municipality and the MoHSS played matches against each other during the day.

More than 400 people attended the games.