ADDIS ABABA, 12 July 2012 (EPA) - The Ethiopian Business Coalition Association Against HIV and AIDS, TB and Malaria (EBCA) announced that has offered training of trainers (ToT) for 2094 drawn from 213 major companies nationwide to reduce HIV and AIDS risk amongst the business community at workplaces.
Speaking at a workshop organized following the completion of the training here at Ras Hotel yesterday, the Coalition Executive Director Tadesse Tekalegn said that the training is offered aiming at reducing HIV and AIDS risk and enhance peer education in workplaces.
Tadesse claimed that the core objective of the training was to assist the business community to strengthen its efforts to prevent the spread of of HIV and AIDS in workplaces and communities in which they operate and to provide effective information and access to services for those who are HIV positive. Accordingly, he noted that EBCA in collaboration with DKT Ethiopia has trained 2094 workers for five months to enable them to become effective peer educators in workplaces concerning various issues pertaining to combating HIV a nd AIDS.
He said: “HIV and AIDS and vulnerability factors in the business community are likely to be higher than the national averages, particularly when the increased employment of vulnerable groups is considered, notably the migrant workers and women. Hence it is an urgent need to increase the business community's response to HIV and AIDS.”
Citing the Federal HIV and AIDS Prevention and Control Office Report 2010 which indicates HIV infection rates in Oromia 6.1 per cent, SNNP S 7.2 -per cent, Amhara 9.9 per cent, Tigray 10.7 per cent; Tadesse argued that the need to have an increased intervention is still critical.
According to Tadesse the training is believed to enable members of various workforces to collectively plan and implement a response to the problem of HIV and AIDS infection in the workplace and surrounding areas both to prevent and support the surrounding communities.
Internal Communication Organizer of Ethio Telecom, trainee Birhanu Tefera, said that EBCA training programme came at a time when his company was mobilizing similar trainings to its workers. Thus, as to him the training was quite informative and timely.
Birhanu also indicated that 40 workers were trained from Ethio Telecom drawn both from the headquarter and regional office to discharge all what they have accumulated during the training. The management in Ethio Telecom is committed and willing to facilitate situations to do so, he added.
The Ethiopian Business Coalition against HIV and AIDS (EBCA) is the only organization representing the private sector in its efforts to combat HIV and AIDS. EBCA has already mobilized some 150 companies who have, on voluntary basis, reached out to more than 40,000 workers and over 150,000 families and community members. It has also singed memorandum of understanding with 10 business companies including Chambers of Commerce, Sectoral Associations, Employers Federation and the Association of Women Entrepreneurs.
Thursday, 12 July 2012 08:02
Association offers ToT to combat HIV and AIDS at workplaces
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