Health staff, leaders train to help couples

 HEALTH workers and community leaders from the Moresby South electorate are undergoing training on how to communicate with couples having trouble in their relationships. 

NCD health service HIV/AIDS coordinator Sister Manasseh Kelly explained that in some relationships, one was HIV positive while the other was negative. 

“Training for couples counseling is vital.

“It builds the capacity of health workers and community leaders to help couples accept the fact that one has to live with HIV,” she said. 

“Those trained with the skills to counsel couples are in a better position to convince the couple that it has happened and they have to live with it and plan for the future.”

She said individual testing for HIV bred suspicion in relationships.

“Thus we believe that if we work with couples we can create an understanding between the two partners,” she said.  

Moresby South outreach coordinator Saria Sarama said they involved at least two participants from the communities and two from the seven clinics in the training. 

“Altogether we have 18 participants undergoing training,” she said. 

“We see a need to involve leading figures in the communities because they will work along side health workers to counsel couples.”