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Leribe community leaders from different works of life
attended a three-day TB/HIV co-management workshop held at
Leribe on May, 2010.
The Leribe district health educator Mrs. Malebohang Pheko
mentioned the objective is to equip the local authority with
Advocacy, communications and Social Mobilization (ACSM)
skills to be able to communicate and advocate for people
with TB and HIV in their respective constituencies.
Participants are drawn from different sectors of the society
in Leribe district namely police, correctional officers,
teachers, councilors, youths, traditional healers, NGOs,
government ministries, chiefs, people with disability and
people living with HIV and AIDS. Facilitators were district
TB coordinator, health educator and district AIDS officer.
Mrs. Pheko indicated that the Ministry of health realized
that it is the responsibility of all stakeholders to join
hands in the fight against TB and HIV because clinical
intervention alone will not fight these diseases as patients
are based in the communities.
This training will therefore empower participants with
TB/HIV competence to pass the same message to their peers in
the community and at work places. The intention is to extend
the TB/HIV messages to all the people in the country.
One of the participant, Councilor Tsatsane Nkau mentioned
that HIV and TB is rife among the community where youths are
abusing alcohol and involved in unprotected sex at early
age.
“In this workshop we learnt about Advocacy, Communications
and Social Mobilisation. I will therefore use my skills to
mobilize my community to know their HIV status in order to
get help on time,” he explained.
A teacher Mr. Thabeli Makoatsa said he learnt to communicate
the TB/HIV message to children in schools. “After this
workshop I see myself as an advocate for the rights of
children; protect the HIV/TB infected children from stigma
and discrimination and also to advocate for the rights of
children against all forms of abuse especially rape which is
the common mode of HIV transmission.”
The Correctional officer Mr. Soli Konesh said since he works
at health unit, he will use the TB/HIV knowledge acquired to
pass the message to fellow correctional staff and inmates in
his district.
“I will advocate for the inmates with TB/HIV to adhere to
their treatment and mobilize them to eradicate stigma and
discrimination against the infected. If I suspect any
inmates with TB/HIV symptoms I will refer them to health
center or hospital for treatment,” he said.
This training workshop is part of development of capacity
for community leaders on Advocacy, Communication and Social
Mobilisation project. The ACSM project is under Global Fund
Round 6 TB grant whose objective is to empower communities
with TB/HIV knowledge to provide care and support to TB
patients. One of the project’s activities is to train
community leaders on TB/HIV co-management. |
