NGO holds seminar on HIV/AIDS for opinion leaders

Ho, Dec 22, GNA - Miss Evelyn Dey, President of Community Development Awareness Forum (CODAF), a non-governmental organisation, on Wednesday called on opinion leaders to seek information on HIV/AIDS regularly to effectively handle the negative effects of the disease on their communities.

Miss Dey was speaking at a day's workshop organised by CODAF for 82 participants drawn from seven communities in the Ho municipality. It was on the theme" Giving Hope To HIV/AIDS Patients - The Role Of Opinion Leaders", and sponsored by the Ghana Aids Commission (GAC). Miss Dey said the fight against stigmatisation and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS would be futile without the involvement of opinion leaders who wield great influence in their communities.

" ... You are so influential thus the relevance of your HIV/AIDS education", she said.

CODAF had so far organised similar workshops for 53 Traditional Birth Attendants from 31 communities in the Ho Municipal area as well as expectant wives and their husbands on mother to child HIV transmission and the importance of voluntary counselling and testing for HIV.