Funds needed for HIV/AIDS programmes in Ghana & Senegal

The donations will go immediately towards education and awareness programmes to combat the spread of the epidemic in Ghana and Senegal.

The Chairman of the Irish Red Cross, Mr. David Andrews, SC, visited both countries last week to assess the needs of the area and saw a range of Red Cross activities aimed at preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS and assisting those people who have the disease.

Mr. Andrews said that AIDS was having a devastating effect on entire communities and that funding was urgently needed to educate people and prevent the spread of the disease.

"In parts of Africa the rate of infection is as high as one in two (or 50%). In some places entire villages only have older people and their grandchildren still living and all the young adult population are dead. Those who should be the parents, the farmers, the teachers, the nurses, social workers are all dead. This loss will affect generations to come on many different levels," he explained.

The Chairman was really encouraged by the high quality education work being done with young people by Red Cross volunteers in Ghana and Senegal to provide information and help for those with the disease.

"The HIV/AIDS education programmes I saw in Senegal are well managed and are making real progress. They have achieved a reduction in the disease to a level is as low as 1.5%. We need to focus on educating people to change their behaviour. The most effective means of preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS is by communication, young people talking to each about safe behavior and about addressing health issues or other worries they may have," Mr. Andrews said.

Mr. Andrews said the funding is also needed for programmes, which address the problems of the stigma and social isolation. "People living with HIV/AIDS are often ostracized by the local community. This has a very negative impact, resulting in depression and people losing the will to live."

"I met Mr. Papa Amadou Sow in Dakar. He was the first person to be diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in Senegal in 1986. Mr. Sow is using his experience to help others and now runs a voluntary association to care for people living with the disease. He is also involved in lobbying at national government and international levels to put treatment systems in place to treat those with the disease, including making anti-retroviral drugs available at an affordable price in developing countries," he explained.

The Red Cross is well placed to respond, already having experience in the area, and having a wide network of motivated volunteers. The Irish Red Cross is appealing for support so that we can create more projects and support even more of the Red Cross to carry out this same prevention and assistance work.

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