A delegation representing various non-governmental organisations in Seychelles at this year's International Conference on Aids and Sexually Transmitted Infection in Africa (ICASA), in Nairobi, Kenya said that they are committed to the local Aids/HIV programmes.

The 10-member delegation, made up of representatives of the Alliance of Solidarity for the Family (ASFF), Nurses Association, Seychelles Red Cross, the International Friendship League (IFL), Faith and Hope Association (FAHA) and Association for the Promotion of Responsible Parenthood (AFPRP), has described their experience as "enriching, fruitful and one with plenty of new ideas."

Following their participation at this year's edition of ICASA, the delegation met at the ASFF office, Mont Fleuri last week, to give a report on their participation.

This year's conference had "Access to Care" as its theme and was attended by some 7,300 participants from 109 countries.

According to Mrs Marie-Nella Azemia of IFL, the conference has opened doors for contacts with different international organisations and enabled local NGOs to work out specific projects to help in the fight against the spread of HIV/Aids and the stigma associated to the disease.

She said that based on various presentations made by different countries, local NGOs have come up with specific and well defined educational HIV/Aids programmes to sensitise the community at large on how to break the silence on HIV/Aids.

Among other recommendations, Mrs Azemia said that there is the need to educate people on the importance of having HIV/Aids tests. This, she said, would give accurate and updated data on HIV/Aids to better the sensitisation programmes.

Mrs Azemia stressed that the government should have a specific budget for HIV/Aids programmes and that NGOs should work alongside private sectors to help in the education programmes.

Another emerging concerns for the local NGOs surrounds the sustainability of mass media campaigns.

The participants have expressed the desire to attend the next conference, which will take place in 2005 in Abuja, Nigeria. 

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