The North
Bank Regional aids committee recently held it quarterly meeting to review
progress and challenges in the implementation of HIV and AIDS programme in the
region held at the NAS resource centre in Kerewan North Bank Region.
Speaking at the meeting, Babou Jimba Jobe, regional AIDS coordinator, thanked partners and stakeholders in complementing the efforts of the national AIDS secretariat in the fight against HIV and AIDS.
The review meeting would bring up to date the Regional AIDS Committee on the situational analyses of HIV and AIDS, and how the region could adopt appropriate strategies to intensify the fight against the epidemic, he said.
Ebrima Sisawo of the Agency for the Development of Women and Children (ADWAC), said the use of mass media and radio spots contributes to raising public awareness on HIV.
He lauded the efforts of the communities of Jumansarba and Kinteh Kunda Jannehya for their active participation and foresight in income-generation for the purchase of a rice milling machine to improve livelihoods.
ADWAC with support from the Global Fund uses participatory methods of dot Society Tackling AIDS through Rights (STAR) to empower youth groups’ in the communities of Katchang, Banni, Kinteh Kunda Jannehya, Dobo, India and Jumansarba to discuss HIV related issues with and to design programmes to halt the spread of the virus.
Haruna Kuyateh of Worldview The Gambia noted that capacity development and awareness raising are fundamental to bring about behavioural change and fight against stigmatization.
The fight against HIV and AIDS calls for concerted efforts of all by targeting the Most at Risk Population to enhance the cross-border HIV campaign, he added.
Marie Barry of AFPRC General Hospital and Mam Camara of Kerewan Health Centre called for behavioural change, and for providing maximum support and care for people living with the virus.
The health workers used the occasion to launch an appeal for support from partners to carry out community outreach on Voluntary Counselling and Testing, VCT, noting that it is key in the fight against HIV and AIDS.
The Regional AIDS Committee thanked the Global Fund through NAS for its support to fight HIV.
