MDAs secretaries ends course on HIV/AIDS

Accra, March 8, GNA - Over 350 secretaries drawn from the Ministries, Departments and Agencies and secretarial institutions on Monday brainstormed on the menace of HIV/AIDS in Accra in connection with their relationships with their bosses.

The secretaries, mainly ladies were educated on the best means to relate to their bosses, whether dressing codes really trigger advances from male bosses and the menace of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

The two-day workshop was organized by the Youth Advocacy Foundation (YATRAF) a NGO, which has the commitment to improve the well-being of the poor and the marginalised in society and in the fight against the HIV/AIDS menace.

Dr. Sylvia Anie, Director for Research, Monitoring and Evaluation of the Ghana AIDS Commission said the role of secretaries in ordinary life and business exposes them to the risk of the deadly disease.

"It is against this backdrop that YATRAF with the support of the Commission is giving the training to equip the secretaries with the required skills and knowledge to protect themselves and their colleagues.

She advised the secretaries not to shelve the knowledge acquired but rather endeavour to share with their peers.

Dr Anie noted that the African continent was at risk more especially the Sub-Saharan Africa with the highest cases of the disease. "The disease is silently wiping away the human resource of the earth and to stay alive, and make maximum use of your potential as a youth, you must make the best choice of abstaining, being faithful and ensuring the proper use of condoms," she urged them.

Mr Francis Paine, Executive Director, YATRAF said the workshop was targeted at secretaries who were susceptible to the sexual manoeuvres of their bosses and trainee secretaries in schools and the raising of their personal risk perception so as to let them make informed decision to save their lives.

He said the current project was borne out of the realisation that the youth needed not only be empowered through training but also stay healthy to contribute to national economy.

Mr Paine said YATRAF hoped to replicate the project in the suburbs of Accra and in other regional capitals.