Oro seeing results in fight against HIV/AIDS

THE Oro AIDS council is seeing positive developments among youths and those deemed “vulnerable” since changing its approach to tackle HIV/AIDS.
Coordinator Sylvanus Bawo said they had turned to activities such as theatre and peer education training as part of their behaviour change and communication (BCAC) programme since year 2000 and the move was bearing fruit.
He said that former substance abusers were training to become peer educators to educate their peers on issues which contributed to the spread of HIV.
“Many unemployed youths and sex workers have joined our life skills training to earn an income through honest means,” he said in his provincial report at a National AIDS Council Secretariat workshop in Port Moresby on Monday.
He said Higaturu Oil Palm stepped in to help find employment for these people.
The workshop is studying the BCAC to see how it could be adopted to suit other provinces.
Participants are also looking at the strengths and weaknesses of their programmes for improvements.
Their findings and decisions will be used by the National Health Department to deal with the disease.
Mr Bawo said it was important to understand that although the work was unending and if they worked together, the BCAC programme would be successful.