ZIZ News — Caribbean HIV AIDS Alliance in collaboration with the ministry of health and the national aids program in Nevis are hosting a HIV and AIDS Voluntary Counselling and Testing Training Workshop.
Interim Chief of Party with the Caribbean HIV and AIDS Alliance Ms. Dylis McDonald says this work shop is important to the reduction of exposure to HIV and AIDS.
She said, “having people feel comfortable to access the service and to be able to provide quality intervention for them and allow them to feel comfortable in terms of disclosing certain information about their behaviour and therefore being able to be provided with the right information to reduce their risk of exposure to HIV and AIDS”.
According to McDonald at the end of the Five Day Workshop participants will be certified as counselling providers.
“At the end of the workshop we hope to have certified a number of persons as Counselling Providers for HIV and that means the Ministry of Health and the National AIDS Program will have an increased number of persons who are able to provide specialized counselling intervention for persons involved in what we term high risk behaviour which requires an additional layer of sensitivity and understanding” McDonald noted.
Present at the workshop were representatives of the church, representatives of men who have sex with men, and other community organizations.