The Daily Observer (Banjul)
Gibairu Janneh
3 July 2009
The Gambia Armed Forces, in partnership with the US embassy in Banjul, yesterday, began a two-day HIV/AIDS sensitization seminar for personnel of The Gambia navy.
The seminar, which is being held at the naval headquarters in Banjul, is part of The Gambia Armed Forces HIV/AIDS prevention program, and it is being supported by the United States Department of State for Defence Security AIDS Prevention Program. Speaking at the seminar, 2nd lieutenant Kodou Jatta, who chaired the ceremony, said since the launching of The Gambia Armed Forces HIV/AIDS prevention program in July 2005, a series of such sensitization programs have been conducted.
"As a mater of fact, The Gambia Armed Forces has been participating in peace keeping operations in troubled regions of the world especially in Africa which have a high HIV prevalence rate. Therefore, there is a need to develop a mechanism to control and minimize the spread of HIV/AIDS in the military," she remarked. She added that the emergence of an HIV/AIDS prevention program in The Gambia Armed Forces is both necessary and timely
The chief of naval staff, Lieutenant Colonel Sarjo Fofana, expressed gratefulness to the US government for providing such a support for The Gambia Armed Forces. Lieutenant Colonial Fofana reminded participants that as soldiers, their purpose is to defend the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the state as well as promote peace in troubled regions in the rest of the world. He noted that for a soldier to efficiently execute such responsibilities, they have to be healthy, hence the need to raise awareness particularly on serious health issues such as HIV/AIDS.
Talking about the high exposure of soldiers particularly in peace keeping fields, the naval chief called on participants to take the seminar seriously so that they can practice what they have learned, educate their families and the wider community. He noted that it is through such mechanisms that an HIV-free armed forces can be created.
Deputising for the chief of defence staff, the chief of army staff, Lieutenant Colonel Yakuba Drammeh, spoke at length about the devastating effect of the HIV/AIDS pandemic globally. He said since HIV moved from its scientific mystery to a global pandemic, it has caused numerous deaths and distractions despite concerted efforts by medical practitioners to provide a cure.
He called on participants to share with their colleagues, families and friends the knowledge that they will acquire in the course of the two days as well as inculcate the knowledge into their daily set of behaviours. The chief of army staff reiterated that AIDS is destroying the very fabric of what constitutes a nation, be it individuals or institutions, and that as such there is need for awareness creation among people as to its prevention particularly among soldiers whose role is crucial to society's development.
For his part, the US ambassador to The Gambia, Barry Wells, told participants that by joining the military, they have volunteered to defend their country against all enemies, both foreign and domestic, and that HIV/AIDS is one of those enemies as it is devastating populations across the globe including security forces. "As security forces, a tremendous responsibility has been vested in you. You have a high level of trust from your families and leaders to exercise judgment that will result in the protection of you and your country men.
You have to make choices that will enable you to be part of a healthy and vibrant armed force as opposed to carrying a disease that is devastating to your family, your nation's security and your own personal health," Ambassador Wells remarked. He called on participants to understand that the seminar is as important as a training on how to run boats, use arms, protect yourself in the field or how to carry out peacekeeping operations, since according to him, none of these things are possible without good health.
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