HIV/AIDS awareness to be evaluated

THE primary goal for HIV/AIDS awareness within the Morobe province is the identification of boundaries.
Areas have to be identified and programmes would be made to suit the locale.
Several health workers at a consultation workshop to discuss the national HIV/AIDS strategy, said in Lae yesterday that although it was not in line with the purpose of the workshop, the concern was the subject of many responses from all stakeholders.
They agreed that proper coordination must be carried out by the Morobe provincial Aids committee (MPAC), to ensure that stakeholders involved in disseminating information for HIV awareness must cover all areas of the province.
Many stakeholders said the current awareness programmes were overlapping each other with many stakeholders conducting awareness programmes in the same areas.
Another stakeholder said the safety of the organisations must be considered before they went out to dangerous areas to conduct awareness.
He said these areas should be left to organisations and individuals who were familiar with the area.
Coordinator for MPAC Charles Pepe said constant and lasting partnership between stakeholder and MPAC must take place so that there would be better  coordination and monitoring between them.
He said it was important that stakeholders attend all meetings so that there was active
participation and awareness on what each stakeholder was involved in.
He said in the past several meetings that had been arranged, the turn-out among stakeholders was poor.