Mbuji-Mayi, 14 February 2012 – The Office of the United Nations Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) jointly organised with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and National HIV Multi-Sector Programme (PNMLS) an awareness Day for students of a Medical Technical College (ISTM in French acronym) in Mbuji Mayi on 8 February 2012.

This is to ensure the continuation of previous activity launched during the commemoration of the HIV Day on 1st December 2011, around the theme "zero new HIV infection, zero discrimination, zero HIV-related death."

Several hundreds people, the majority of whom students participated in this activity, including academics and stakeholders taking an active part in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Kasaï Oriental province.

Presentations focused on the means of contamination and prevention as well as stigmatisation. The event was accompanied by a performance on stigmatisation and sexual violence in academic environment by a theatre company called Samy de Banglof. Thousands condoms were distributed at the end of the event.

Piergiorgio Paglialonga/ MONUSCO