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In Ghana’s Northern Region,
approximately 50 people—journalists and medical practitioners—recently
completed a three-day training on HIV and AIDS to equip them with the knowledge
to effectively report on preventing the spread of the disease.
The training was part of the
government's National Strategic Plan (NSP) 2011–2015 aimed at reducing by half
the spread of HIV and AIDS—especially through mother-to-child transmission—to
eventually stop new infections. The Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) organized the
training in collaboration with the Ghana Journalists Association. Topics
included “The National Response to HIV and AIDS: Progress and Challenges” and
“NSP 2011–2015: Towards Achieving Universal Access to Comprehensive HIV
Services.”
Dr. Joseph Amuzu, Director of Policy
and Planning at GAC, underscored the need for effective education about the
spread of HIV and AIDS to eliminate the disease. He provided statistics on
prevalence: the total number of HIV cases was 217,428; the number of
HIV-positive children was 31,576; the number of HIV-positive pregnant women was
12,854, and the number of new HIV infections annually for adults stood at 8,925
and for children at 2,933. Dr. Amuzu emphasized that GAC recognizes the
valuable contributions of the media to attaining NSP 2011–2015 goals.
Other speakers applauded the
training, saying it would enable journalists, the media, and physicians to
accurately report on the disease, and called on journalists to produce critical
stories that will help curb the spread of the disease. The training inspired 34
journalists to get tested for HIV.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
