Koforidua, Jan. 19, GNA- The Netherlands Government, in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) has provided the Eastern Region with 1.4 million dollars, to improve the capacity of the Region to provide care and support for People Living With AIDS (PLWAS). Every district in the Region would be provided with 50,000 dollars each to provide income-generating activities for the PLWAS. Ms Golda Asante, Regional Focal Person on the Monitoring and Evaluation of HIV/AIDS, announced this at the formal opening of the maiden Training of Trainers workshop for 170 participants drawn from 17 districts in the Region at Koforidua.

She said each district would also receive 12,000 US dollars to sensitise the people on the need to show care, love and support for PLWAS.

The District Health Management Teams would be provided with 22,000 dollars each to strengthen their capacity to handle HIV/AIDS cases. She said the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) would be expected to facilitate the role of the District Response Initiative, to mobilize resources for the PLWAS and supervise the disbursement and utilisation of the funds.

Mr Samuel A. Bawa, Deputy Regional Coordinating Director, said the workshop would expose the participants to: Information, Education and Communication, Community Mobilization, Community Counselling and Home Base Care.

He advised the participants to take every aspect of the training seriously so that they could disseminate the knowledge and skills they would acquire to others.

The Regional Coordinator of the National AIDS Control Programme, Dr Sampson Badu Ofori said the Netherlands Government had provided all the necessary facilities for the establishment of Voluntary Counselling and Testing centres in all the 17 districts in the Region in March, this year.