TRAINING OF TRAINERS ON HIV

TRAINING OF TRAINERS ON HIV/AIDS

Bangladesh provides a very high-risk situation in question of HIV infection multiplication and sudden spread of the disease. Geographically Bangladesh is located at the gateway of South Asia. Countries having high prevalence of HIV infections, unfortunately, surround this gateway. According to some Non-government statistics, around 13 thousand cases of HIV Positives have been reported in Bangladesh. The actual figure will be much higher as the general tendency of the people is not to disclose if anybody affected by Aids for social stigma.

Knowledge of HIV/AIDS is very minimal among Bangladesh population of all age groups. The UNICEF publication 'State of the World 2000' shows that the overwhelming share of male and female adolescents in Bangladesh have no knowledge of AIDS and safe sex. Hence, there is a dire need to start awareness building program on HIV-Aids in the country. Bangladesh YMCAs has already organised a Youth Co-ordinators Workshop held at the National Level, with the participation of youth leaders from different local YMCAs of Bangladesh.

As follow up of the workshop Bangladesh YMCAs has come up with the programme ‘Building Awareness through Campaigning on HIV/AIDS (BACHA)’. The main objective of the programme is to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS in Bangladesh by making people aware who are in the periphery of the Local YMCAs of Bangladesh. Under this programme Bangladesh YMCAs organised Training of Trainers on HIV/AIDS from 3 – 6^th September 2004, where 22 Trainers from 11 local YMCAs along with other delegates were present. Mr. Alison Baroi, Project Manager of Mymensingh HIV/AIDS Prevention Project of World Vision Bangladesh conducted the Training. There was also a presentation from CARE Bangladesh on this issue. Mr. Marcel A. Gomes, President of the National Council of YMCAs of Bangladesh inaugurated the Training Program.

The newly trained Trainers shall arrange awareness programmes for the people who are at risk in their locality. At least 250 sessions shall be arranged locally to reach a target of 15,000 people in next two years. Bangladesh YMCAs shall publish different promotional materials to publicise the issue to the people. As ‘HIV infection is preventable by information & education’; we strongly believe a good number of people of all age groups especially the adolescents and young adults who are a major segment of population & will soon enter reproductive and sexually active stage of life; can be educated with proper HIV/AIDS information through this endeavour.