2009 Media House of the
Year (Print) AWOL

...Ensuring IT is done the right way!!

A. ABESS
AIRPORT SHUTTLE

 Alie Hassan Shop Aberdeen Roundabout,  Fredbynna Stationery Shop; Lumley Roundabout,  Freetown Supermarket,  Essentials Supermarket,  Payless Supermarket,  &  Monoprix Supermarket  Wilkinson Road Freetown.

Before 11am in Makeni: Sulcut Tele Center Azzolini Highway and I. B. & Friends Tele Center Opposite the S.L.C.Bank.

Before 12noon in Bo: Bo Mini Market Sewah Road,  B.K.P.S. Staff Canteen,  EM & JAY Enterprise 1B Dambala Road by the Post Office,  M & S Trading 29 Fenton Road &  PAT-MOI Tele Centre Safecon Petrol Station Fenton Road 

Before 12noon in Kenema: T. Choithrams Supermarket,  Mr Shola Williams 7 Bus Park,  Infinity Internet Cafe 55 Hanga Road,  M. U. Kalokoh Holdings Via Zain Shop 35 Hanga Road  &  Skaikey Mobile Phone Centre 18 Hanga Road Kenema Town

Awoko Newspaper Your Preferred Option.

 A cross section of pregnant women at the launching Ceremony

Over 200 pregnant women yesterday converged at the UMC Maternity Hospital, Kissy Urban Centre to witness the official launch of the 2009 World IDS Day campaign. This year’s national campaign will target an estimated seven thousand (7000) pregnant women across the country.
The theme for this year’s World AIDS Day campaign is “Help protect your baby, get tested for HIV”
The wife of the Vice president Mrs. Kadijatu Sam-Sumana who served as guest of honour did the official launching of this year’s World IDS Day Campaign-.
Delivering her Keynote address Mrs. Sam-Sumana applauded the National AIDS Secretariat and all development partners for their invaluable efforts towards ensuring a drastic reduction in HIV/AIDS prevalence in the country.
She considered children to be innocent victims of HIV/AIDS as most children are being infected by parents that are HIV positive.
“A child free from HIV/AIDS is happiness to the parents” the Vice President’s wife lamented. She further stated that parents should try as best as possible to ensure that their children are free from the disease. She encouraged those living with the disease to live positively and those that are negative to continue to prevent themselves form HIV.
In his statement, the Director of the National AIDS Secretariat (NAS) Dr. Brima Kargbo said when the HIV epidemic was discovered in Sierra Leone in 1987 there was only one case of HIV positive but within a period of 22 years about 4,800 people are currently living with the disease.
Giving a justification for targeting women in this year’s campaign, the NAS Director said they have discovered that due to ignorance pregnant women that are HIV positive have been transmitting the disease to their children either during delivery or breast feeding. He said the Secretariat has made it possible for every pregnant woman that goes to hospital to be tested free for the HIV virus.
He also disclosed that 91% of children born by HIV positive mothers are negative despite the positive status of their parents.
He considered this to be a good result and encouraged pregnant women to go for the Voluntary Counseling and Confidential Testing so that they will know their status and that will help them to protect their babies from what he called Mother to child Transmission.
The Official launching ceremony was graced by the Bishop of UMC. Most Rev.J.K Yambasu and other development partners in the fight against HIV/AIDS in the country.
By William Freeman