ALCO launches awareness campaign

Accra, April 1, GNA - A campaign to educate the public, especially travellers and people living along the borders of the five member countries of the Abidjan - Lagos Corridor Organisation (ALCO), on HIV/AIDS would be launched on Saturday.

The launch, to be done simultaneously at the 15 - crossing site along the Togo, Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, Benin and Nigeria borders, would be preceded by the posting of posters on STI/HIV/AIDS at all the sites on Friday April 1.

A statement signed by Professor Sakyi-Awuku Amoa, Deputy Chairman of ALCO and Director General of the Ghana AIDS Commission, said information kit containing four condoms, a brochure on STI/HIV/AIDS and a brochure on formalities and documents required to cross borders would be distributed; in addition a sticker would be placed on each vehicle crossing a border and giant sized billboards would be mounted at the Elubo and Aflao borders as part of the campaign.

The Abidjan-Lagos Corridor with 14 million persons in transit every year is considered as the most visited communication axis in Africa.

The objectives of the campaign are to lead a change in sexual behaviour, provide users of the corridor the required information while crossing the borders, and create awareness about the disease among drivers, apprentices, travellers, population along the borders, people working at lorry stations and traders.

The statement said through the campaign, populations of member countries would have access to credible information on the HIV pandemic.