Dimapur, Sep. 13 (EMN): Legislators’ Forum on AIDS (LFA) and the Mon District AIDS Programme Control Unit (DAPCU), in collaboration with the youth ministry of Konyak Baptist Baumeinok Bangjum (KBBB), jointly organised an advocacy programme on HIV/AIDS on September 5 at Mon town.
The programme began with a keynote address by Wangchah K, KBBB youth secretary, wherein he acknowledged the DAPCU and LFA – Nagaland for their commitment and support in addressing the issues of HIV and AIDS. He has particularly thanked them for prioritising the church leaders towards prevention of the disease.
The key resource person of the programme Dr. Yanang K, medical officer of District Hospital Mon, spoke on “Basic of HIV and treatment.” He shared about the advantages of knowing HIV status, which could be determined only through blood test. With regard to treatment, he stated that though there is no medicine for cure, positive people could live a healthy by taking and adhering to Anti Retroviral Therapy (ART).
He also encouraged the public to come forward and do the testing which is being offered free of cost in all the Integrated Counselling and Testing Centre (ICTC).
Also speaking on the occasion, DAPCU District Programme Officer, Longyim Tzudir, acknowledged KBBB for realising the importance of participation in addressing the issues of HIV among the church members and partnering with DAPCU for conducting the church advocacy on HIV/AIDS. Tzudir opined that church is one of the most influential institutions and channel to educate, discipline and communicate to the community. In this regard, he has stressed on the need to capacitate and sensitised church leaders in order to spread the message to larger sections of the population towards containing the disease.
Tzudir also encouraged the church leaders to be well equipped on the issue of HIV/AIDS and requested them to include HIV topics even in their sermons. He further encouraged the church leaders to care of people living with HIV by establishing love, care and compassion.
The programme began with an invocation prayer said by the youth director of Wanching Baptist Church and concluded with an interactive session, wherein the participants have expressed their willingness to carry out church advocacy on HIV/AIDS in their respective churches.
Apart from the programme, IEC materials and guidebook on HIV/AIDS for church leaders were distributed to all the participants.
