Twenty-five selected districts have received Red Trunk Libraries during the 5th Regional HIV/AIDS Coordinators, Counsellors and ART/Opportunistic Infection (ART/OI) Site Representatives' Meeting held in the Capital View Hotel, Koforidua from 23 – 25 January 2008. The World Health Organization (WHO) used the opportunity to present the Red Trunks Libraries to the Regional Coordinators for distribution to selected districts nominated by the respective Regions. These Red Trunks which are mini libraries, contain publication produced by WHO, UNAIDS and other publishers and provide basic medical health information related to HIV/AIDS to district health workers and teams in remote areas where computer access and access to traditional print information is limited. This brings to 45 the number of districts that have so far received the miniature library.

Predominant among the list of books are practical manuals that deal with a whole range of issues from young people and HIV/AIDS to nutrition, counseling and HIV health and the community. Some of the interesting titles include "Integrating Gender into HIV/AIDS programs" and "HIV Related Stigma, Discrimination and Human Rights Violation".

The 5th Regional HIV/AIDS Coordinators' Meeting (RHCM) could not have been a better event for these presentations. Starting from 2006, this meeting held twice a year in January and August is organized by the National AIDS/STI Control Program (NACP) of the Ghana Health Service. The main objective is to create a forum for regional teams and personnel from HIV/TB service sites to report on ongoing activities in the Counselling and Testing/ Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (CT/PMTCT), Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI), Tuberculosis (TB), OI/ART programs in the regions and to bring up for discussion best practices and challenges. Participants also learn from each others' experiences, brainstorm on ways to improve and build on services and programs and discuss the way forward.

Even though Regional presentations are carried out in a relaxed setting, sometimes one cannot help but sense a hint of competitiveness as Regional teams showcase their achievements. However when it was time for the presentation of the Knowledge Cases, the atmosphere was that of fun and mutual goodwill as the Regional Coordinators took their turns to collect their sets of Red Trunks for onward distribution to the districts. The beneficiaries are to select a person responsible for the library in the district who would ensure equitable access to and safety of the materials. It was also mentioned that another expectation of WHO is for the recipients to give a feedback on the usefulness of these libraries. On behalf of their regions, the Regional Coordinators expressed their appreciation to the World Health Organization WHO for the Red Trunks.

Interestingly, the 5th RCHM also presented an opportunity for the Programme Manager of NACP, Dr Nii Akwei Addo, to announce that Dr Morkor Newman, the HIV country advisor in the Ghana WHO Office was leaving to assume duties at the Inter-country Support Team (IST) office for the Southern and Eastern Block of the WHO Regional Office in Harare, Zimbabwe. On behalf of the NACP and the stakeholders assembled, he thanked Dr Newman for her support and contribution towards the national response to HIV in Ghana and wished her well in her new responsibilities.

For further information contact:

Dr. Sally Ann Ohene
WHO Country Office
29 Volta Street, Airport residential Area, P.O. Box MB 142, Accra, Ghana

Ms. Sophia Twum-Barima
Health Information and Promotion Officer
WCO, Accra, Ghana
Tel: 00 233 21 763918/763919
Fax: 00 233 21 763920
Email: whoghana [at] gh.afro.who.int (whoghana[at]gh[dot]afro[dot]who[dot]int)