Teachers learn about HIV/AIDS awareness

EDUCATING teachers about HIV/AIDS is a step further in extending the awareness to students,  who are among the high risks group.
Chairman of the Morobe Schools HIV/AIDS awareness task force (MSHAT) Thomas Waeki, said this  during the closing of the week-long basic introduction to HIV/AIDS workshop, involving mostly teachers from primary and secondary schools within the Lae district.
“Under the education reform, HIV/AIDS is a topic discussed under the personal development (PD) subject and with the increase in HIV cases in PNG; teachers will play an important role in educating students about it,” he said.
“However, most PD teachers are less equipped with information about HIV/AIDS when they teach the topic because they have not undergone any training on it,” he added.
Realising that need, the MSHAT was established to train PD teachers on HIV/AIDS so that they can teach the subject with more confidence.
The week-long workshop was the first to be organised for PD teachers within the Lae district, which saw 35 teachers graduate with certificates in basic introduction to HIV/AIDS.
“It is really an eye-opener for most of us teachers as this workshop has not only taught us new things about HIV/AIDS but also as given us the confidence as now we know what we are going to teach,” one participant said.
Health Minister Sasa Zibe who was present during the official closing, was in support of such an initiative taken by MSHAT
“This is a unique organisation that is been set up, and I assure you that you will get my full support,” he said.
Mr Zibe also committed K10,000 to assist MSHAT in its initial trainings and programmes planned for the 2010 academic year.