CFAO World AIDS Day
CFAO Ghana limited has been at the fore front of HIV prevention in Ghana since 2004 and is one of the companies which have developed an HIV policy that provides HIV/AIDS education programs to inform employees at the workplace and seek to motivate behaviour change that will reduce the spread of the epidemic. As part of the annual programme of work 1st December was earmarked for HIV education and awareness day and also mark the World AIDS Day- The day is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection globally.
This years World AIDS Day commemoration fell on Thursday, December 1st 2011. The global theme chosen to mark this year’s World AIDS Day was “Getting to Zero – Zero New infections, Zero Discrimination and Zero AIDS Related Deaths” which is carved out of the UNAIDS mandated theme of “Universal Access and Human rights”. The sub theme chosen for Ghana was “The role of the youth”. Ghana’s focus on the youth was aligned to the priorities in the National Strategic Plan for HIV/AIDS 2011- 2015; most at risk populations (MARPS), individuals with multiple sexual partners and youth between the ages of 15 to 24.
Like other challenges in the contemporary business world HIV/AIDS is a factor that companies must now reckon with in their planning operations thus, CFAO sought to use the World AIDS Day to create HIV/AIDS awareness so as to reduce the number of staff who engage in risky sexual behavior, encourage healthy lifestyles through IEC/BCC materials distribution, and increase uptake of counseling and testing among staff in Greater Accra, Western and Ashanti regions of Ghana. Activities organized on that day were, HIV counseling and testing, wearing of red ribbons, condom distribution, and access to HIV/AIDS flyers and booklets. Before the beginning of the programme, a participatory forum on the topic “HIV prevention, care and support at the workplace: Successes, challenges and the way forward” was held.
At the end of the World AIDS day’s activities, 300 red ribbons were distributed, 3000 male condoms were given out for educational and personal use, 200 HIV branded wrist bands were handed out and 1507 IEC booklets and leaflets were handed out to staff and clients. It is hoped that these IEC/BCC booklets and leaflets would inform and educate staff about the disease and also protect them and their dependants against HIV infection. The overall goal of the CFAO HIV/AIDS workplace programme nevertheless is to reduce the prevalence and impact of HIV in the workforce and the wider community. To achieve this counseling and testing identified as key to behaviour change and prevention is an integral part of the CFAO strategy. The results from the counseling and testing exercise undertaken was also very encouraging as 50 people were tested at the Takoradi office, 15 people were tested at the Kumasi office, 38 people were tested at the Airport office, and 46 people were tested at the PPGL office and technologies office at circle industrial area. These are people who received their results after undergoing HIV pre and post test counseling. There were no positive cases at all sites. Different models of counseling and testing are available in Ghana i.e. outreach, integrated and stand alone testing and counseling however KEBA Africa employed the mobile or outreach CT because it is non-stigmatizing. Most of the clients tested were either single or married hence in future couple testing would be considered as a holistic approach to HIV prevention at CFAO.
On the whole, staff members showed great interest in the exercise although we must and keep the drive to change people’s attitudes about the epidemic and the stigma attached to HIV. Others just had irrational fear of HIV as a death sentence and did not want to find out their status. There is still work to be done to dispel the ignorance that drives HIV related stigma and educate people about HIV and the need to preserve the rights and dignity of people living with HIV.
