International Migration Organization Launches Cartoon Video to Promote HIV/AIDS Awareness Campaign in Laos

The International Organization of Migration on Thursday in Vientiane, Laos, launched a cartoon video to promote its national HIV/AIDS awareness campaign, the Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies reports. The video -- titled "For Life, With Love" -- includes several educational cartoons about HIV/AIDS prevention methods. Health Deputy Minister Bounkhuang Phichit said the video will be useful in educating young people about HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. He added, "Workers crossing borders to work overseas and migrants coming into Laos are the main groups posing the risk of HIV/AIDS and STIs to locals, particularly young people." The campaign aims to reach communities in five countries -- Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam -- of the Mekong sub-region.

The migration organization is working on the video campaign with the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, the Centre of HIV/AIDS/STIs and the Ministry of Public Health. The agency hopes Lao National Television will air the cartoons soon, and it intends to show the videos to people in border villages. Nannet Motus, an IOM official, said the campaign and other activities are part of a participatory learning approach to fighting the epidemic (Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies, 6/26).

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