Airtel celebrates World Aids Day
Mobile giant, Airtel SL Friday 2nd celebrated World Aids Day at its head office at Main Motor Road Wilberforce.
Airtel, dissimilar to other mobile companies in Sierra Leone commemorates World Aids Day every year.
National Coordinator Business Coalition Against HIV/AIDS (BCAASL), Joyce Abu said her organization was established in 2008 and was nevertheless launched by President Koroma.
The goals, she said, is to mobilize business organizations (particularly the private sector) respond to issues of HIV/AIDS within their respective institutions.
She stated however that Airtel is among founding members of BCAASL, and over the years has joined National Aids Secretariat (NAS) in the sensitization of HIV/ADS within the business sector.
Joyce gave the percentage ratings of HIV/AIDS in the country as:
- 2005 = 1.6%
- 2008 = 1.54%
- 2009 = 1.53%
- 2010 =1.50%
That according to the tabularized description as shown above, the rate of the pandemic is seemingly in a reduced state.
“This is indeed an experimental recession,” she said.
Airtel’s Managing Director, RVS Bhullah said as Sierra Leone observes World Aids Day under the theme: ‘Getting to Zero new HIV Infections by 2015’, his company (Airtel), as part of its corporate social responsibilities, has accepted as fact (moral obligation) to join respective institutions in the fight against HIV/AIDS nay meeting the challenges in homes, communities, the nation and the world generally.
He said a number of people can actually not tell whether they are infected or not.
“They keep on infecting others thus making the situation worse day in and out. To Airtel, it is fanciful engaging society on the aspect of prevention such as educating them do ‘tests’ regularly”
Bhullah thanked the membership of BCAASL whose focus is geared towards educating and advocating with the business communities in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Airtel, he said, is proud to be a member of BCAASL and will at all times lend support to the education of HIV/AIDS in Sierra Leone.
“As a business, and with the help of BCAASL, we have since 2006, developed our own work place policy regarding HIV/AIDS for employees and their dependents.
We’ve ensured access to HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, care and support.”
The Advocacy Officer for Network of HIV Positives (NETHIPS), Arnold Macauley, shares testimony as a being in creature that is with the virus.
He said however that persons infected with the disease can associate with persons who are not.
That perception of an individual depends on his/her understanding of the current and basic facts of HIV/AIDS.
“Someone can live with HIV for decades ‘on end’ and can never get AIDS,” Arnold said.
“HIV is non contagious infection and has specific modes of transmission to contact it.”
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