In commemoration of this year’s World AIDS Day, the National Catholic Secretariat in collaboration with the UNHCR, and the Gomoa East District Assembly undertook a one-week sensitization programme in certain activities and finally climaxed with a durbar at the Buduburam Refugee Camp.

The theme for this year is “Leadership, Reducing HIV Stigma and Discrimination”, with the slogan, “Lead Empower Deliver”.

Workshops were held for medical staff within the Gomoa East District on prevention of mother-to-child transmission, voluntary counseling and testing, as well as effective management of tuberculosis and sexually transmitted infections.

Other activities include film shows at Afransi and Buduburam, Voluntary Counseling and Testing sections, HIV stigma free beauty pageant, and float from Kasoa to Buduburam.

Addressing the durbar, where awards were given to the HIV Stigma Free Beauty contestants whose presentation were very educative and entertaining, John Lloyd Sackey, Project Coordinator of the NCS/UNCHR Project, said on December 1 every year, the world comes together to commemorate World AIDS Day since its observance in 1988 in solidarity with millions of people infected with HIV/AIDS as well as promoting the spirit of social tolerance and a greater awareness of HIV/AIDS on an international scale.

He said the overall purpose of World AIDS Campaign from 2005 to 2010 is to ensure that leaders and decision makers deliver on their promises on AIDS including the provision of Universal Access to Treatment, Care, Support and Prevention.

Mr. Sackey noted that in Ghana, the national prevalence rate has dropped from 2.2 percent to 1.9 percent in 2007, a significant achievement to all stakeholders.

He stated that within the context of the global HIV/AIDS pandemic, the UNHCR, the National AIDS Control Programme through the NCS as its implementing partner, established HIV/AIDS Programme at Gomoa Buduburam and its catchment area since 2004.

“The HIV/AIDS Programme at Buduburam Settlement over the years has the following as its working model: Preventive Education and Health Awareness, Voluntary Counseling and Testing, Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission, Home Based Care and Support, Provision of Antiretroviral Therapy, and Condom Distribution”, he noted.

Mr. Sackey mentioned that their challenge for this year’s World AIDS Day is how each and every individual, especially the stakeholders, can work towards HIV stigma reduction and discrimination in the community, homes, workplaces and schools, and as such, called on all to pledge to work towards reducing stigma and discrimination in the various areas.

Senai Terrefe, representative of the UNHCR said despite the considerable success of HIV programmes in many counties, the AIDS epidemic remains a major global crisis that affects all people and communities including refugees and internally displaced persons.

She said UNHCR has made tremendous progress during the past years in implementing HIV prevention, care and treatment programmes among refugees including the provision of antiretroviral therapy.

“Protection remains the cornerstone of UNHCR’s HIV and AIDS strategy. However, we still have a long way to go. In many situations, refugees, internally displaced persons and their host communities continue to be vulnerable to and affected by HIV.

“We, in collaboration with our implementing partners, governments, other UN agencies, beneficiaries as well as our staff, need to scale up efforts to counter the growing tendency of the disease to outpace our actions to prevent it”, she said.

.