United Nations Radio

With young people accounting for nearly half of new HIV infections worldwide, UNAIDS believes performers at this weekend's MTV Africa Music Awards could have a significant impact on this audience.

Wyclef Jean

The awards, known as the MAMAs will be held on Saturday in Nairobi, Kenya, and will be broadcast to a global audience estimated at one billion people.

Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS, notes that as his agency has been tasked to "keep the leaders of tomorrow healthy today," the music stars "can help fast-track awareness about HIV into the hearts and minds of African youth.

Wyclef Jean, the Haitian-American hip hop star, will host the award show as well as perform. Other artists scheduled to appear include Akon, M.I. from Nigeria, Wahu from Kenya, Samini from Ghana, and Lira from South Africa.

Additionally, actors from a drama to be broadcast on December 1, which is World AIDS Day, will present an award. The show, called "Shuga" focuses on six young people and their relationships, as well as the choices they make which put them at risk of HIV infection. It is a production of MTV Base Africa and UNAIDS.

According to UNAIDS, young people aged 15 to 24 account for 45 per cent of new HIV infections worldwide. More than 20 million Africans are living with HIV.

Dianne Penn, UN Radio.
Duration: 1'28"