South Sudan HIV/AIDS Commission says there is a need to increase awareness and education campaigns to reduce the rate of infections in the country.

UNAIDS says about 150,000 people in South Sudan were living with HIV/AIDS last year.

Today South Sudan joins the rest of the world in celebrating the Global HIV/AIDS Day under the theme: “Focus, Partner and Achieve an AIDS-free Generation.”

The Chairperson of the commission, Dr. Esterina Novella, told Eye Radio’s Dawn Program that the AIDs body is aiming at raising awareness to let people know how to prevent themselves from the disease.

“The important thing to us is awareness raising and it is to teach our people how to protect themselves. And awareness raising in order to let them know more about HIV/AIDS, not just for us to come and talk on the radio, but we need awareness especially in education sector,” She said.

“We need HIV/AIDs to be put in our curriculum so that student or a child can learn about it as he is growing up,” She supplemented.

Ms Novella said there is need for topics on HIV/ AIDS to be included in the country’s education curriculum.