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Volunteers and Community |
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HIV/AIDS Prevention and Awareness Programmes
35 million: At the end of 2013, 35 million people were living with HIV.
The Global theme for this year's World AIDS Day is "Getting to Zero: Zero New HIV Infections, Zero Discrimination, Zero AIDS-Related Deaths" to advance global progress in achieving set targets for universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support, halt and reverse the spread of HIV and contribute to the achievement of the MDG 6 –combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases- by 2015.
In Ghana, and as of 2014, an estimated 150,000 people were infected with the virus. HIV prevalence is at 0.8 percent in 2014 and is highest in the Eastern Region of Ghana, and lowest in the northern regions of the country. In response to the epidemic, the government established the Ghana AIDS Commission which coordinates efforts amongst NGO's, international organizations and other parties to support the education about and treatment of aids throughout Ghana and alleviating HIV/AIDS issues in Ghana.
As part of SVG’s commitment to improving the health of rural communities, and in addition to our support towards prevention and awareness programmes and networks in the Eastern Region of Ghana, this Easter we partnered with the Ghana Aids Commission in the Kwahu Easter celebrations.
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These festivities attract large crowds, to celebrate a week of almost nonstop music, drinks, street parties and other ceremonies. Street parties last throughout the night and are crowded with thousands of young people. Behaviour in these occasions put these youth at risk of sexually transmitted diseases, and it is thus adequate ground for behavior change communication and other activities that lower above mentioned risks.
Our volunteers took part in this behavioral health intervention by conducting voluntary testing, condom –male and female- distribution, general awareness and prevention counseling and advice and HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.
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