© Afreepress (Lomé, the 9th December 2015)-Since September, Compassion International and its partner churches in the district of Vogan started a great sensitization on HIV/AIDS. The objective of this campaign is to raise the population awareness on AIDS and helped them have their screening for free. On the World Aids’ Day, the results of the campaign were delivered to the authorities of the district. About 50 chiefs, political and administrative leaders of the district participated in that meeting. According to the district director of health, about 17.000 people tested themselves to see whether they are HIV Positive or not.
At Hahotoe, two Child Development Centers gathered to organize a parade which did a full tour of the town to inform the population about the importance of HIV screening. For this occasion, health workers from the district hospital were sent to the Child Development Centers to help people do their testing for free. Before the beginning of the testing, the health workers held an informative meeting during which they explained to people the different ways of HIV contamination: sexual encounter, sanguine exposure and transmission from mother to child. Then they gave advices about how to prevent HIV and how to help those who are already HIV-positive. After that, the detection tests started.
Many people were actually scared at the idea of knowing their serologic status. Thank God, psychologists were there to help all those people. The project director of the Baptist Church of Hahotoe, Kodjo ALOGNON explained briefly but yet clearly, the reason why the detection tests were organized. He said that Hahotoe is a mining city and accordingly to UN, mining cities are places where there is always higher percentage of HIV-positives. Mr. ALONGNON also added that Hahotoe is an area where poverty is endemic. So “mining town + poverty” equals higher risks of getting HIV through prostitution.
In the afternoon, at Vogan, in the meeting room of the town hall, a conference entitled:“Objective: Zero. Zero new HIV infection. Zero discrimination and Zero AIDS related death”. The meeting started by some few words from the regional overseer of the Church of the Assemblies of God in Vogan, Pastor Koffi DEGBE who thanked partners that gathered to organize the event.
Then, Dr. Viwatin Jeanine AMEDEGNATO who is the child survival program specialist at compassion International Togo did a brief summary in which she presented the actions of compassion International and also the evolution of HIV in Togo especially in Vogan district. After that, the prefect of Vogan, Mr. Kokou LEGUEDE explained the importance of Compassion’s work and thanked the district hospital for its collaboration. He also renewed his wish to see all the people of Vogan working together to eradicate HIV from Togo. The last presentation was done by Dr. AGBETIAFAN Koffi. He is the district director of Health in Vogan. He said that in 2014, there was a decrease of HIV infection of about 35%. He also added that last year, 15 million of HIV positives were under treatment. Since 2000, more than 30million new infections and 8 million deaths were avoided. The WHO objective is that in the next 15 years, HIV should be eradicated.
In 2014, in Togo, some 37000 people are under antiretroviral. The wish of the Togolese government is that till year 2020, we should be able to have a generation without HIV and by year 2030, we should have Zero HIV positive in Togo.
The population of Vogan and surroundings really appreciated this action of Compassion International because it helped them know their serologic status and how to behave whether they are HIV positive or not. This activity was done thanks to Compassion’s donors around the world.
