FPATT to increase HIV/AIDS awareness

He was speaking at FPATT’s annual Report to the Nation which took place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Port-of-Spain.

Brooks stated the Association, also plans to continue to fight for family involvement in sexual reproductive health education with their Collaborative HIV and AIDS Management Programme (CHAMP), to train nurses to ensure they meet the growing demand, increase service access of services for marginalised groups like the differently abled, gays and lesbians and to continue to develop their voluntary testing and counselling service to include all their clinics.

Brooks said there is need for a programme of comprehensive sex education in schools which the FPATT has been calling for since the 1970s and lamented the fact that government has not adopted a stronger role in reaching out to the population.

“We are the true social warriors of this nation. “We fight for the rights of the under-served and our efforts seem to go unnoticed by the policy makers who can help us reach more families, more teenagers, more rape victims or more abused wives.

But we like the Soca Warriors, realise that with constant diligence, in time our efforts will be rewarded.” The event was attended by Acting President of Trinidad and Tobago, Linda Baboolal, Chancellor of the University of the West Indies, Sir George Alleyne and FPATT President Dr Jacqueline Sharpe among other dignitaries

The association is celebrating their 50th anniversary. Alleyne commended their longevity and expressed hopes that the association would evolve rather than face extinction.