Liberia’s Workforce at Highest Risk of HIV/AIDS

 

 

The Inquirer
Monrovia, Liberia

Distributed by

The Perspective
Atlanta, Georgia

August 28, 2004


The Country Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Liberia, Dr. Deji Popoola has disclosed that the Liberian workforce is at the highest risk of HIV/AIDS infection and needs to benefit from communication tools that will reverse the imminent danger.

According to a Labor Ministry release, Dr. Popoola made the observation in a statement delivered on his behalf by UNFPA national program officer, Mr. Alfred K. Tarway Twalla, during a National Symposium on HIV/AIDS at the workplace held at the Ministry of Labor recently.

He said the rapid threat of HIV/AIDS on this sector of the population was likely to have a disastrous consequence upon the nation’s growth and development and therefore, emphasized the need for awareness that would help decrease the spread of the disease.

He said working groups that are vulnerable to HIV/AIDS infection were drivers, local and international traders, concession workers and populations on the borderlines with other countries.

For his part, the keynote speaker, Dr. Peter Coleman, Minister of Health and Social Welfare commended UNFPA for financing the symposium on HIV/AIDS for the working force of Liberia. He noted that the government will do everything possible to ensure the success of the project.

Earlier, Labour Minister J. Laveli Supuwood praised UNFPA for providing the needed funds to fight this deadly disease (HIV/AIDS) that poses a threat to the workforce Worldwide. He assured them of his Ministry’s commitment to the project.

The project coordinator further said that the symposium is specifically required to set the pace for the creation of an awareness to enable government and the competent authorities who are policy maker, management, employers, Labour and Trade Union Leaders in the formed and in formal sectors to formulate appropriate policies and guidelines which will tackle HIV/AIDS in the workplace the also applauded UNFPA for the funds provided.

© 2004: This article is copyrighted by The Inquirer newspaper (Monrovia, Liberia) and distributed by The Perspective (Atlanta, Georgia). All rights reserved.