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On Saturday, June 26th, 2010, the Improving Access Project in collaboration with the African Communities of Manitoba Inc (ACOMI) held a community leaders forum and health promotion session vis-a-vis Infectious Disease Awareness Day, at the Canad Inns Polo Park. The forum discussed health issues relevant to the needs of newcomers, particularly Africans, to assist them acquire firsthand knowledge on how to reduce the incidence and prevalence of infectious diseases in our communities, with the goal of sensitizing a community that promotes culturally safe, and viable health-enhancing behaviours. The Improving Access Project, funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada, has been working with newcomer communities to engage newcomers in various types of health promotion and knowledge exchange sessions to address myths, misconceptions, and demystifying issues to decrease newcomers’ vulnerability of acquiring blood-borne infections in Canada. The program embraces diversity and ensures that knowledge transfer sessions and health-enhancing information are communicated in a culturally appropriate way.
The event’s facilitator, Marystella Anidi of the Sexuality Education Resource Centre (SERC) Manitoba, in her presentation, noted that newcomer communities, especially African communities, need to be empowered with knowledge to help in the enhancement of their health. She added that Africans are endowed with an inert ability to thrive well in challenging times, therefore “we can adapt this resilience into our health life.” She went on to say that “community leaders are the only ones that can bring the community together” and that without them, “we cannot sustain the momentum which is to saturate our communities with balanced health-enhancing messages so as to empower them to make informed decisions.” The global and national HIV epidemiology is the driving force behind this project and, participants, in round-table talks, outlined ways of improving access to services; reducing barriers; raising awareness; and building capacity within communities to address this issue. It was also noted that approximately 33.4 million people are living with HIV in the world and that sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 22.4 million of this figure. The Sierra Leone Nationals Association of Manitoba (SALNAM) was represented by Secretary General, Abu Bakarr Kamara; Treasurer, Elizabeth Johnson; Assistant P.R.O Abdul Kanu, and community elder, James Koroma. |
