Accra, June 10, GNA - The National Youth Council (NYC) and the Institute of Adult Education (IAE), University of Ghana, Legon, on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the planning and implementation of Youth Worker Programme on HIV/AIDS and Stigma reduction.

The MOU, which also aims at developing and expanding the framework of collaboration between the IAE, NYC and the Ministry of Education, is being sponsored by the Canadian International Development Agency, through the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada and Simon Fraser University.

Professor Yaw Oheneba-Sakyi, Director of IAE, said discrimination and stigmatization against people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWAHs) were the most critical barriers to their involvement in prevention, care and treatment of the virus, hence the need to develop the programme. He said the problem of stigmatization and discrimination remained a major fact of life for the estimated 29.4 million PLWAHs in sub- Saharan Africa.

Prof. Oheneba-Sakyi said in Ghana PLWAHs, were engulfed in an atmosphere of silence and secrecy due to fear of maltreatment from close relations and family members. He noted that PLWAHS also face discrimination at their workplaces, while others have become subjects of ridicule. "Our ability to overcome the menace of stigma and discrimination will depend on the use of the skills and knowledge acquired by the youth through the programme," he said. Dr. Sekou Nkrumah Acting National Co-ordinator of the NYC, said his outfit would ensure effective collaboration with the IAE for the smooth implementation of the programme. He observed that the decision to focus on the youth was based on the fact that they constitute a chunk of the national population, who are sexually active.

Dr Nkrumah expressed confident that the programme would reach the desired target. He called for more human -centred adverts on HIV/AIDS to bring awareness of the virus much closer to the youth. 10 June 09