Workshop for HIV/AIDS persons held at Techiman

Techiman (B/A), May 11, GNA - A three-day workshop on public speaking on HIV/AIDS for 40 participants drawn from six communities in the Techiman municipality has ended at Techiman. The workshop, organised by Net-work of persons living with HIV/AIDS, (NAP-Ghana), an NGO responsible for education on HIV/AIDS, was sponsored by Care International with support from DANIDA.

Mr Kofi Ampong, Programmes Manager of NAP-Ghana said, the objective of the workshop was to encourage victims of HIV/AIDS and community leaders to speak publicly on HIV/AIDS. He said NAP-Ghana was also encouraging persons living with HIV/AIDS, to form functional support groups in the Tain district and Techiman municipality, where there were no support groups.

Madam Barata Yakubu, acting Focal Person for 'prevent programme' of Techiman Municipal Assembly, expressed the hope that the training programme would offer the participants the needed skills to be able to educate the people against stigmatization of HIV/AIDS victims.

Mr Berneh Diawuo, Project Manager of Care International, said the programme was started two years ago on a pilot scheme base, to identify persons living with HIV/AIDS and to help find solutions to their problems. He said the Ghana AIDS Commission was doing all it could in providing anti-retroviral drugs to victims, to enable them stay longer. He urged the public to show compassion to HIV/AIDS victims who openly disclosed their status to them.