Workshop HIV and AIDS ends in Winneba

A one day workshop on HIV and AIDS for representatives from government and non-governmental institutions in Winneba has been held at Winneba.

The workshop, which was organised by the Effutu Municipal HIV and AIDS Committee and sponsored by the Ghana AIDS Commission, dealt with workplace policies towards the reduction of the pandenic.

Participants were drawn from departments, institutions and private business people in the Effutu Municipality, to enable them to prepare policies at their various workplaces, to curb the spread of HIV and AIDS and also reduce discrimination among the infected and affected workers in the area.

Mr Clifford Simpson, Effutu Municipal Hospital HIV and AIDS Co-ordinator, Mr Emmanuel S. Martey, Municipal Youth Co-ordinator and Mr Ebenezer Woode from the University of Education, Winneba were the facilitators.

They took participants through topics such as stigmatisation, the spread of HIV, amongst workers and their families, providing protection for people living with HIV and AIDS from discrimination.

Other topics treated were adherence to human rights issues of workers living with the virus, advocacy for support from stakeholders in support of people living with HIV, promote counselling and voluntary testing among workers, capacity building of family members of infected workers to give home based care and ensuring that HIV and AIDS information of staff are kept strictly confidential.

Mr Clifford Simpson said HIV and AIDS is a social issue, which affects the socio-economic development of a country and hopes that various departments and institutions will help reduce its spread.