Sports for Development
Children and adolescents comprise over 43% (330,538) of the Guyanese population. The largest number of AIDS cases occurs among persons within the 20 - 44 year old age range, accounting for in excess of 70% of all reported cases Given the incubation period of the disease, this suggests that most of these young persons whould have acquired the virus during their teenage years. Data for AIDS cases shows that there were more male than female cases within all age groups except the 15 - 19 year age range, where females outnumber males. Adolescents therefore appear to be especially vulnerable in contracting HIV. The Guyana Cricket Board, the Table Tennis Association and the Guyana Football Federation collaborated with the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security, the Ministry of Health and UNICEF to launch the Children and AIDS Campaign in May last year. The launch of Unite for Children, Unite Against AIDS, which showcased sports a a healthy lifestyle activity, sought to encourage the hundreds of children who attended to get involved, get healthy and get the right information on how to stay healthy and protect themselves from HIV. In keeping with its committment to the children of Guyana the Guyana Cricket Board, with support from UNICEF, has also embarked on a set of activities as a starting point for the local cricketing contribution towards an AIDS-free next generation:
The Guyana Cricket Board is an affiliate of the West Indies Cricket Board. Visit http://www.windiescricket.com for more information.
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