The joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) has announced the expansion of its HIV advocacy campaign �Protect the Goal� (PTG), aimed at preventing the spread of HIV among the populace especially the youth, to include local football.
Building on the successes of the global PTG campaign, launched two years ago, and ensuring that no one is left behind, the UNAIDS is establishing synergies between the PTG and the cities response with the involvement of local football and sports leagues.
Local celebrities would also be incorporated into the campaign, which advocates safe sex through the usage of condom, knowing one�s HIV status and reducing sexual partners, to help bring people to the centre of the response.
This was disclosed at a press conference to brief the media about Ghana�s PTG campaign in relation to the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2015 in Equatorial Guinea.
Girmay Haile, UNAIDS Country Director, said PTG thrives on the idea of protecting a team�s goal post from goals by the opponent, hence the vigilance required in protecting one�s self from getting infected.
He said, �The campaign has since its launch received over 600,000 pledges from the youth, exceeding the targeted 100,000 at the beginning of the 2014 World Cup. The campaign messages have caught on well with the youth.
Mr Haile observed that this year�s AFCON games offers another opportunity to embark on a nationwide HIV campaign to maintain the momentum that has been created through sports and to ensure that the general population is constantly reminded to protect itself against HIV infection.
�It is also important to build momentum especially because this year is critical in assessing every nation�s progress with the MDGs and by some extra hard work, we can still make a difference in Ghana�s HIV status,� he said.
The UNAIDS Country Director, therefore, appealed to the media to dedicate some space and time to communicate safe sex messages to their audience on a daily basis as the state and its partners cannot on their own achieve the national goals on HIV.
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