The HIV/AIDS pandemic is a major cause of death in the world every year with the continent of Africa having the greatest number of deaths. Usually, victims of the disease are subjected to discrimination and stigmatisation which renders them more vulnerable.
It is for this reason that a four-day regional workshop to train media practitioners on gender and human rights linked with HIV/AIDS opened in Yaounde yesterday. Organised by the Network of African Media in the fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and Malaria (REMASTP) in collaboration with international organisations, the workshop brings together some 50 participants from West and Central Africa. The theme of the workshop is “Media, HIV/AIDS, gender and human rights in West and Central Africa”. The workshop aims at drilling the participants on the techniques of treating information linked with HIV/AIDS. For three days, the participants will listen to presentations from experts on topics such as the situation of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in West and Central Africa, HIV/AIDS and human rights and standards and the fight against stigmatisation and discrimination of vulnerable groups. Also the worksop will look on the feminisation of HIV/AIDS and code of ethics of journalist and the respect for human rights.
Speaking during the opening, the Minister of Communication, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, called on journalists to intensify information to the benefit of vulnerable groups which are victims of increasing discrimination and stigmatisation. He called on the members of REMASTP to increase their activities towards the marginalised group who are usually excluded from communication circuits. At the end of the workshop, REMASTP will launch a competition to select the best press articles and radio and television productions on HIV/AIDS, gender and human rights. The workshop ends on Friday.
