Catholic Church HIV and AIDS Project makes impact in Upper East

Bolgatanga, Sept 27, GNA - The Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocesan Development Project on HIV and AIDS has made a positive impact on people living with HIV and AIDS in the Upper East Region and the West Mamprusi and East Mamprusi Districts of the Northern Region.

The Project, named Strengthening HIV and AIDS Response Partnership with Evidence–Based Research (SHARPER) and sponsored by the Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocesan Development Office of the Catholic Church, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Family Health International and USAID, was started in 1999.

It has paid school fees of 60 orphans as a result of HIV and AIDS to Senior High School.

The Project Coordinator SHARPER, Mr. Ayamga Anamboyine Kofi, told the GNA in an interview that the project had readmitted some 20 orphans into vocational institutions who dropped out of school at the Junior High School level as a result of HIV and AIDS.

He said about 60 People Living with HIV and AIDS have also been supported to learn soap making as income generating activity to support themselves and also built an HIV/AIDS Resource Centre for them to be holding their socialization meetings.

It has also registered 25 associations of people living with HIV and AIDS in the Upper East Region including West Mamprusi and East Mamprusi Districts.

Mr. Kofi said the Project, in collaboration with ACDEP, has supported 50 people with the virus with goats to rear, trained 30 health professionals who give counseling to PLWHIV and 64 HIV and AIDS Advocates who embark upon sensitization programmes against stigmatization.

Speaking on the challenges, the project coordinator said food was a major challenge since about 90 per cent of the patients were not gainfully employed and inadequate funding to pay for more orphans of HIV and AIDS.

He said the Project is also finding it difficult to pay for the ART-drugs, particularly the needy ones.

Mr Kofi said the Project had not got enough money to bank roll some income generating activities that have been identified to be cost effective and well as financing HIV and AIDS education programmes.