Linden teachers urged to be innovative in presenting HIV/AIDS information
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Linden teachers urged to be innovative in presenting HIV/AIDS information
Steady increase in infections, deaths reported
Stabroek News
June 8, 2000
In a move to have teachers at Linden become educated on the AIDS epidemic, a two-day seminar was held last week by the Regional AIDS Committee of Region Ten and a more innovative approach was urged.
At the launching, it was said by PAHO/WHO Representative, Dr Bernadette Theodore-Gandi, that figures released by the Genito-Urinary Medicine (GUM) clinic recently, revealed that there were 602 new cases of HIV during 1999. Of this total 325 were diagnosed with AIDS.
She said, "Being cognisant of the long incubation period of HIV, it can be concluded that many of the young persons manifesting with AIDS, are infected in their teens."
Regional Health Officer Dr Pansy Armstrong in her presentation released the following HIV/AIDS statistics for Linden:
According to the figures, there has been a steady increase of infections and deaths in Linden. As such it is important that teachers ensure students have access to information, which will allow them to make the right choices in the face of the many challenges that now confront them, HIV/AIDS being the major one. Dr Theodore-Gandi challenged teachers to develop innovative ways of presenting HIV/AIDS information to children, involve them in the development of messages and approaches, encourage active participation which will facilitate the free-exchange of ideas and to harness the many talents that they possess.
Year .............Reported cases .............Males .............Females .............Deaths
1995 .............32 .......................................13 ......................19 .....................17
1996 .............26 ..................................... .14 ......................12 .....................12
1997 .............23 .......................................10 ......................13 .....................18
1998 .............39 .......................................20 ......................19 .....................22
1999 .............50 .......................................27 .......................23 .....................20Facilitator, Jimmy Bhojedat told the teachers "it is going to remove the complacent attitude of people if they understand that there is a difference between HIV and AIDS." He said that that understanding gives hope to persons who test positive.
He further said "the average person who tests positive thinks of death because they are not thinking of HIV. They say: 'I have AIDS' and people associate AIDS with death."
Speaking with one of the participants Stabroek News was told that students did not understand the severity of the epidemic and strategies learnt at the seminar would help them raise the awareness level in schools.
The Regional AIDS Committee and teachers will continue the collaboration, to monitor and evaluate the school programmes during the implementation and to liaise with other community agencies to access additional resources to expand their work in HIV/AIDS.
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