NGO organises Music Festival for HIV/AIDs prevention

Tema, July 31, GNA - The Excel Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organisation, as part of its programme to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDs among young women in Tema, has organised a Music Festival dubbed Preventing the spread of HIV/AIDs- Behavioural Change, at Tema Manhean.

About twelve musical groups in Tema participated in the concert, while two people living with the disease and also members of the AIDS Support Association (TASA), shared their testimonies with the youth. According to the Chief Executive Officer of the NGO, Mrs. Cecilia Huges Osafo, the idea for the show was to create a platform where the youth could be educated on the need to change their behaviour towards the disease.

She said with support from the Ghana AIDS Commision, the Foundation has chosen Tema New Town, Community One, Sakumono and Adjei Kojo as its project areas and also assisted young women as well as street children to undergo skills training. In an interaction with the press, Mr. Gladstone Attipoe, President and Founder of TASA said the Association, which was founded two years ago currently has over 150 members.

He said through its effort and support from Family Health International, the Tema General Hospital from August this year would start administering the Anti-retroviral drug. He noted that even though enough awareness has been created about the disease, there is still the need for behavioural change and said that is why members of TASA decided to share their testimony wherever they go.

He expressed concern about the way society treat people living with the disease and said to break this discrimination they go round some communities to educate people on that.

He commended the national AIDS Commission and other Individuals as well as Non-Governmental Organisations for their support so far to them.