Kabudi directs ministries to prioritise youth empowerment

DODOMA: MINISTER of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (Policy, Parliament, Coordination and Persons with Disabilities), Prof Palamagamba Kabudi, has directed sector ministries to prioritise youth empowerment and ensure young people fully benefit from opportunities available from the village level to the national stage.

Opening the National Youth Scientific Conference organised by the Tanzania Commission for AIDS (TACAIDS) in Dodoma on Wednesday, Prof Kabudi said all ministries must reinforce collaboration under the coordination of the President’s Office (Youth Development) and the Prime Minister’s Office through TACAIDS to ensure that “no young Tanzanian is left behind” as the nation advances towards Vision 2050.

He said Tanzania is blessed with a vast reservoir of skilled, patriotic and hardworking youth, noting that according to the 2022 Population and Housing Census, the country is projected to reach 68 million people by 2025, with adolescents and youth aged 10–24 making up 32 per cent, equivalent to more than 21 million people.

“This age group is the backbone of our nation. No development agenda can succeed without recognising the role of young people. It is the Government’s duty to prioritise their needs and safeguard their health, because our youth are a national asset,” he explained.

Prof Kabudi said the government, in partnership with civil society and communities, continues to intensify the fight against HIV by expanding awareness, ensuring access to ARVs and strengthening counselling services.

Despite progress, he said 60 per cent of youth aged 15–24 living with HIV do not know their status, while 46 per cent of new infections occur among young people.

Each year, 60,000 Tanzanians acquire new HIV infections, with adolescent girls and young women at three times higher risk than their male peers.

He, however, expressed concern over reproductive health challenges, noting that 22 per cent of girls aged 15– 19 face unintended pregnancies annually.

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Prof Kabudi also raised alarm over increasing genderbased violence (GBV), with 19,000 cases reported annually and growing mental health concerns, with data showing 12 per cent of youth exhibit signs of anxiety and depression.

He noted that 70 per cent of suicide cases involve people aged below 25. Prof Kabudi said the government is scaling up mental health services at health facilities and within communities through outreach teams, alongside GBV desks in schools, colleges and community settings.

“Technology offers knowledge and economic opportunities, but if misused, it fuels online sexual exploitation, cyber violence, negative global influences and erosion of moral values,” he warned.

Prof Kabudi urged leaders and institutions to guide young people towards safe and productive digital engagement, calling on youth to use technology to develop skills, access opportunities and grow the economy.

TACAIDS Executive Director, Dr Adam Mrisho, said the conference comes at a crucial moment as Tanzania strengthens its fight against HIV/AIDS and advances reproductive health and gender programmes.