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 Event Reviews [ add ] |
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Posted By: EL-TAWE. Rating: 0 / 5. |
The talk shop began at 11 .00 am with Nah Gillian of the Lake Radio, as moderator. She welcomed the participants to their studio. Ngala Elvis from the Global Conscience Initiative (GCI), the event coordinator. He thanked his guests for respecting the rendezvous at short notice. He further said, that the right to information, education and above all the right to life are fundamental human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, coupled with the partnership the Global Conscience Initiative (GCI) has with the Lake Site Radio and the arrival of materials (posters and a CD-Rom) from the worldaidscampaign.org, GCI has to add her voice to the ongoing campaign towards attaining the Millennium Development Goals 2015 target of reducing HIV/AIDS prevalence.
Also present were; Mr. Nimbom Aaron, the Divisional Delegate for Social affairs, Mrs. Gift Manyaka, the Council Correspondent for HIV/AIDS (CCA) in the Kumba municipality, and Mr. Jean Ngimabong, Psychologist and member of the therapeutic committee at the Kumba District Hospital. Absent was the District Medical Officer, who was busy with other activities.
Mrs. Gift started by thanking the organizers for giving her this rare opportunity to reach out to the population for the first time since she took office a few months ago. She said the CC coordinates the activities of Health Area Committees (HAC), as well as report to the Provincial Technical Group (PTG) of the activities of the various HACs and equally recommends active HACs for funding by the PTG.
Mr. Nimbom said AIDS is more of a social than a health issue, so his department is not left out although his office is more involved in sensitizing disables, particularly the female sex, whom he said due to stigmatization and discrimination; they have resigned to fate and see them selves as second-class citizens. For this reason they usually sexually exploited by the able, who carryout their lustful activities at night and most at times without condoms that is if they border at all. This, he said increases their vulnerability to the virus.
Mr. Jean on his part said the therapeutic committee do sensitization, offer pre and post test counseling and above all offer home based care for the those found positive of HIV/AIDS, this includes advise to the family members of the need to accept and assist the patients both morally and financially as with this they would be able to purchase their Anti-Retro Virals (ARVs), though not a cure, would help boost their Immune system hence sustaining them.
Ngala Elvis gave a run down of figures indicating the rising HIV/AIDS prevalence rate worldwide and reasons for this which includes, lack of qualified personnel, the presence of adventurers, inadequate sensitization of those most at risk, since efforts are mobilized mostly during the AIDS week. Even then, the activities are limited to the immediate surrounding of those involved. Thereby sidelining those in areas father away.
Ngala Elvis sort to know the criteria used by the CCA to recommend HACs or groups working in this light and how does she ensures the funds are used for the purpose intended. Mrs. Gift said in recommending the committees, she takes into consideration, the certificate of existence from the Senior Divisional officer, a recognition letter from the Chief Medical Office, and their plan of action, she said her office receives reports and conduct auditing of the committee on regular basis and from this reports she prepares her report for the PTG, she went further to say initially the PTG worked with Local AIDS Control Committees (LACC). The LACCs received between 1,000,000-1,500,000 FCFA from the PTG two phases, but due to incompetence and lack of accountability, LACCs have been replaced by the HACs, placed directly under health facilities in the area and they receive 200,000 FCFA per phase instead. She also said her office notwithstanding, they fund associations willing to engage in sensitization amongst it members, like the commercial motto bike riders association, township Taxi drivers union amongst others
Ngala Elvis equally asked Mr. Nimbom, what else his office is doing to curb the spread of the pandemic beside working with the handicaps, he said his office works in collaboration with NGOs he went further to inform the population of the world handicap day and called on them to turn out massively for the celebrations which was due on December 03,2006
Gillian asked the panel if the 2015 MDGs target would be met, Ngala said unless there is a change of behavior and attitude on the part of the entire population most especially the stake holders, we would be playing to the gallery. He advised in strong terms that the population should decease from stigmatism and discrimination as this scares a lot of people from wishing to know their status and hence indiscriminately infect more and more people on their way. He stressed on the theme; accountability.
Mr. Jean said the fight is far from over as they have realized that the population especially those of school going age is still ignorant of facts about HIV/AIDS, this he said are revelations from their resent sensitization campaigns in schools and colleges around the municipality. Ignorance and negligence he said can be linked to the rise in the number of illegal abortions. He called for coordinated actions, since it has been realize that most civil society organizations prefer working individually rather than joining forces this he said leads to waste of valuable time and money as more and more NGOs repeat and waste resources on programs carried out by others this money could have been reserved for newer and better programs if they new what others have been doing.
At about 11.55 am Gillian asked for a last word from the participants, Mrs. Gift advised that the PTG funds civil society organizations engaged in the fight to curb the spread of the pandemic. They just have to submit an application comprising a copy of their constitution, plan of action, a certificate of existence, report of last year and a letter of recognition from the District Medical office.
Mr. Nimbom linked HIV/AIDS to poverty, and said for AIDS to be a thing of the past poverty alleviation should be taken serious and not end on papers he said his department would be making some donations to some orphans and vulnerable children in the days a head, this thanks to partnership between his office and some civil society organizations, he ended by calling on the population to join in their numbers the disable as they celebrate their day on December 03, 2006
Mr. Jean called on the population to visit the health center nearest to them for voluntary screening and family members of infected persons to assist them he thanked the organizers inviting him, it must be noted that Mr. Jean works at the head quarters of the Rural Health Foundation, Kumba
Ngala Elvis thanked the Managing Director of the Lake Side Radio for the air time and called on civil society organization involve in the fight to make sure they put to use the funds they receive and should act on their conscience he equally called on the population to decease from stigmation and discrimination. That despite their condition, the patients are still humans and should be treated as such.
Gillian thanked the participants and called on the population to do what it takes for the MDGs target to be achieved.
Later in the day Ngala Elvis of GCI following the long awaiting approval from the Director of Denis Comprehensive College, launched an HIV/AIDS awareness club, this club would seek to educate it members by making using of evidence based and scientifically sound idea to make them abstain from sex till marriage or fidelity if they are already sexually active. The club comprise of students between the age of 14-18 years and more of an experimental ground whose outcome would be exported to other schools resulting in the creation of a Youth HIV/AIDS network, involving all the schools in the municipality
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