NAS, UNFPA conduct five day training on Female condom use

The National Aids Secretariat in partnership with UNFPA on Monday 14^th June 2010 commenced a five-day training of trainer’s workshop on condom programming at the Hotel 5:10 in the east end of Freetown.

Thirty participants from across the country and other stakeholders from different organizations were involved in the training, with focus on the popularization of female condoms.

The purpose of the training, it was revealed, was centred on the use of condoms with particular reference to the female condom as lot of people do not know anything about female condoms and most people have never seen one.

The workshop was officially launched by the Information and Communication Officer, National Aids Secretariat Abubakarr Koroma.

In his opening statement, he said ‘the training is one of the strategic plans the secretariat and development partners intend to use in the fight against aids”, noting that “as a nation we are doing fine but there are challenges we face and that the training is part of some of the challenges stakeholders are facing, hence the “essence of the training is to get a proper coordination in condom programming.”

Mr. Koroma also noted that 80 percent of people living with HIV and AIDS are infected through sex, and the use of condom is very important because it helps people not to have unwanted pregnancy, teenage pregnancy, HIV and Aids and other sexually transmitted infections.

He went on to say that if the organizations that are involved in the distribution of condoms coordinate well they will help reduce the spread of HIV and AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.

Mr. Koroma further appealed to participants to give their input in the training and hope that they will have fruitful deliberation.

He expressed that the female condom is out for use but that it is not popular which is why he said there is every need to promote it,   “Most people have never seen a female condom and they do not know how to use it,” Koroma noted.

During these five days the trainees will be taught about the use of this condom and how to use it.

Maya Gokul, who is a specialist in condom programming from South Africa and is also from the support organization which is promoting the female condom, noted that condoms are life saving; save the lives of children, mothers and fathers alerting that the use of condoms must be properly coordinated.

She expressed hope that during the five days participants would have the knowledge and skills on how to take the message to the people and the skills on how to use the condoms. She made it imperative that “there must be the commitment of participants on the use of condom and how it can benefit the entire nation.”

Nyaibor Ngombu, HIV and Aids officer from UNFPA emphasized the use of the condom as it will help cut down on the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases like HIV and AIDS, unwanted pregnancy, etc. The UNFPA representative wished the participants fruitful deliberation for the five day period and hoped that the message of the use of condoms will decimated to the people.

Arnold Macaulay from the network of people living with HIV and Aids added that his organization favours the availability of condoms and hope that there will be success in popularising the use of condom as it would help in reducing HIV and Aids.

The programme was chaired by Madam Kpaka from Action for Rural Development (ARD)

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