Accra, Aug. 23, GNA - The Ghana Aids Commission has under its Multi Sectoral Aids Project (MSAP) released about 83.7 million cedis to the Maritime and Dockworkers Union (MDU) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) towards HIV/AIDS educational programme in the maritime sector.

Mr. Kwabena Owusu Afriyie, General Secretary of MDU, who announced this said the MSAP fund followed achievements made by the Union under the Commission's Ghana Aids Response Fund (GARFUND) that enabled the Union to receive 50 million for aids educational programmes. Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Accra, Mr Afriyie said over 80 workers from the industry drawn from Accra, Takoradi, Tema and Akosombo who benefited under GARFUND completed various workshop on awareness, prevention of the disease, use of condoms and interpersonal relationship with colleagues living with HIV/AIDS.

He said, interestingly, the workshops enabled some participants to see for the first time types of condoms for both men and women. Mr. Afriyie said the second phase to cover six months would aim at creating network activities of peer educators, develop consciousness of workers for sustained HIV/AIDS Education. He called on employees in the industry to provide financial support towards the union's educational programme because it would benefit management in the end.

Mr. Afriyie appealed to the government to develop HIV/AIDs policy to protect the right of workers living with the sickness, to include right to medical care, continued employment and confidentiality. He said workers living with HIV/AIDS should not be the basis for the termination of employment or discriminated against, but assisted and once a worker complained of symptoms of the disease, the worker must not be dismissed the status disclosed. Mr Afriyie urged workers to offer themselves voluntarily for counselling and testing.