The Guyana Defence Force’s HIV project, which is in its 13th month of operation, is focusing on enhancing strategies and intensifying efforts with regard to prevention programmes.
“The priority continues to be impacting the soldiers in such a way that there is significant behaviour change which results in abstinence choices for the young soldiers and also safer sex practices amongst the others,” project manager Beverly Lovell said in a GDF release recently.
It quoted GDF Chief of Staff, Commodore Gary Best, as expressing satisfaction with the strides made. “… The outcomes of this project validate the army’s earlier decision to have it implemented and is proving to be invaluable to the GDF’s commitment to social and human development at the individual and national levels,” he said.
The Chief of Staff’s remarks were in response to a query regarding the usefulness of the GDF HIV project to the army.
The GDF’s HIV project, which was launched on March 1, 2006, is sponsored by the US Southern Command and was implemented by the Centre for Disaster and Humanitarian Assistance Medicine HIV prevention programme projects. It is a part of the US government’s AIDS Country Operational Plan as part of US PEPFAR-supported initiatives.
The release noted that the project, which was specifically designed for the GDF is being conducted through nine operational programme areas.
The areas include, but are not restricted to, Prevention through Abstinence, Be Faithful and Condomize (ABC), Awareness and Behavioural Change Initia-tives, Prevention through Medical Transmission and Blood Safety Best Practices, Condom Distribution and the Training of Army medical personnel.
Lovell said there are currently 29 trainers and 50 counsellors and testers within the army and as a result of the awareness and peer education programmes, a total of 1,454 persons have been tested. This number represents just about 50% of the GDF’s ranks.
Additionally, the release said, some 90 trained and certificated peer educators are at work in the system, educating their fellow soldiers and even others outside of the Force, regarding the many issues surrounding HIV.
“Many others have also been indirectly impacted,” says Lovell. “We have produced our own Information Training and Communication materials which are used for all our programmes.”
Under the project to date, the laboratory at the GDF Medical Corps has been refurbished and more work in the provision of laboratory supplies and the training of laboratory personnel will be done.
Critical initiatives of the project are the Palliative Care Programme which provides for Basic Health Care and Support for persons living with HIV along with medical care and support for Tuberculosis/HIV patients.
Despite the successes noted, it seems that stigma and discrimination continues to be a problem for many living with HIV and Lovell noted that there is need for more education, the release stated.
She said that people have to understand that the psychological trauma caused by stigmatization and discrimination can be quite devastating to the infected person. “Persons are encouraged to seek counselling with their partners and family members.
Loved ones of the infected person must be aware that they have a role to play in making the infected person’s life comfortable through the gifts of their love and commitment,” Lovell said.
Commodore Best has added his voice to the call for compassion saying, “I appeal to all officers and ranks to individually and collectively learn and demonstrate a superior understanding of the issues surrounding HIV/ AIDS within our society. Let us undertake to purge ourselves of negative attitudes towards those living with HIV/AIDS and, as men and women trained to fight, let us fight to protect ourselves and others not only from becoming infected and affected, but also from the ignorance and prejudices embodied in stigma and discrimination against those in our community who must bear this burden.”
The Chief of Staff expressed his gratitude to all his officers and ranks for supporting and giving their best to the work of the project and also the US Government and the local US Embassy.
Meanwhile, an interactive educational programme using football as the communicative medium is planned for the GDF anniversary programme in November, the release added.
