AEGiS-IFRC: Angola Red Cross teams up with association of people living with HIV/AIDS

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2005. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Angola Red Cross teams up with association of people living with HIV/AIDS

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - 2 February 2005
Tapiwa Gomo

The Angola Red Cross Society and the country's main organisation representing people living with HIV/AIDS, the Luta Pela Vida Association, signed a cooperation agreement on in Luanda 26 January that will see the two organisations working together to improve the lives of people living with HIV and AIDS and orphans in the country.

The agreement, which was signed by the President of Luta Pela Vida (LPV), Ms. Ines Garcia, and Angola Red Cross secretary general, Mr Aleixo Goncalves, seeks to engage people living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA) in fighting the stigma and discrimination that is related to the disease.

"Under the agreement, volunteers from the two organisations will provide home-based care, at an Angola Red Cross home-based care centre established for PLWHA. These volunteers will provide nursing care and psychosocial support for the PLWHA during home visits and will refer the affected persons for further treatment to the health facility," Gon alves said.

"This strategic alliance will also support 150 AIDS orphans, in Cabinda Province, during the next school year, with a complete school material kit, including school uniform and bed sheets," he added.

Ms. Garcia reiterated that this partnership will also provide a good opportunity to the LPV to extend its activities to other provinces in the country, once a plan of action is in place.

The ceremony was attended by Dr. Alberto Stella, UNAIDS country programme adviser for Angola; Mr. Antonio Cuello Neto, President of Angola network of AIDS service organization; and Dr. Martin Acosta, the International Federation's Health Delegate.

Since 2003, the Angola Red Cross, with support from the International Federation, has developed and implemented an HIV/AIDS prevention project in five provinces. More than 250 volunteers have been trained to disseminate HIV/AIDS information targeting the military and police, school children, sex workers and long-distance drivers.

The programme targets nearly 19,000 people every month.
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