Accra, Sept 15, GNA - The International Labour Organisation (ILO) as part of its HIV/AIDS workplace project in Ghana, has trained 50 members of the Odawna branch of Ghana National Association of Garages (GNAG) who would in turn educate their peers to inspire behavioural change among them.

The members, who participated in the two-week training programme between August 29 and September 8, 2001 were presented with a collateral kit containing peer educators manual, female and male condoms for demonstration and Sexually Transmitted Infections pictures among others on Friday to enable educate their peers.

At the handing over ceremony in Accra, Mrs Akua Ofori-Asumadu, National Project Coordinator of the ILO HIV/AIDS Programme said the Organisation and the United States Department of Labour (USDOL) entered into the partnership to develop the HIV/AIDS workplace education and prevention programmes in a number of countries, including Ghana. She said the Government of Ghana and the ILO therefore signed a Memorandum of Understanding to undertake the project, which seek to contribute to the prevention of HIV/AIDS.

Mrs Ofori-Asumadu said the project was also to enhance workplace protection and the reduction of its adverse consequences on social, labour and economic development particularly in the informal sector, which constituted 80 per cent of all adult workers in Ghana. She noted that the workplace programmes involved the training of male and female workers, mainly auto mechanics and electronics to facilitate discussions with their co-workers with the goal of encouraging them to examine and change their high-risk behaviour. She said the participants were taken through topics like human rights and HIV/AIDS, Gender and HIV/AIDS, ILO code of protection, stigmatization and discrimination and basics in counselling and voluntary counselling.

Mr Emmanuel Akuffo, Chief Director, Ministry of Manpower, Youth and Employment said the Government through the Ministry decided to partner the ILO and USDOL in the project to help unravel the puzzle why behaviour change was not forthcoming in the war against HIV/AIDS despite the close to 100 per cent awareness creation about the disease. "The Ministry supported the project since we believe it has the potential to achieve the goal of reduction of the pandemic at the workplace", Mr Akuffo indicated.

Alhaji Stephen Dakpo, Grater Accra Regional Chairman, GNAG, appealed to the organizers and other non-governmental organisations to extend such programme to all its members nationwide.

"We cannot afford to see our members perish through this disease. We want to stay alive to work for the growth of mother Ghana for the years to come" he stressed.