Jean-Paul II VCT Center

FEBRUARY 2005 — Jean Paul II Hospital opened the first voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) center supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Conakry, the capital, in a ceremony on February 1. This hospital will receive technical and financial assistance from USAID and Family Health International's IMPACT Project to provide counseling and testing services to the surrounding community and serve as a model for future VCT centers. 

Guests at the ceremony included the director general of the hospital, Dr. Mamadouba Soumah, hospital personnel, community members and representatives of FHI/Guinea.  Special guests included the Minister of Social Affairs and the Promotion of Women and Children, Hadja Mariama Aribot, the Executive Secretary of the CNLS, Dr. Hadja Mariama Dielo Barry, the Minister of Information, Hadja Aissatou Béla Diallo, the Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Guinea, Albert Gomez, the Imam of the Grand Mosque of Conakry, El Hadj Mamadou Saliou Camara, the UNICEF representative, Marcel Rudasingwa, the UNAIDS representative, Damien Rwegera, as well as representatives from the U.S. Embassy and MSF-Belgium.

In his welcoming remarks, Dr. Soumah praised the collaborative efforts of hospital and FHI/Guinea personnel, from renovating the center to equipping its laboratory, that made this valuable service available to the public. Archbishop Gomez noted that the implication of the Church was helping to encourage faithful Christians to inform themselves about HIV and learn their HIV-status. Imam El Hadj Camara reinforced this message by encouraging all Guineans to reject the stigma and discrimination that often discourages people from being tested for HIV. In her comments, Minister Diallo pledged to heighten the involvement of the Information Ministry in HIV/AIDS activities throughout the country.

In closing, Minister Aribot noted the important role that the Grand Imam and Archbishop play in the fight against HIV/AIDS and pledged her personal commitment to supporting the expansion and improvement of VCT services at Jean Paul II Hospital. She also highlighted the importance of using all means of traditional and modern communication to reach out to all Guineans with HIV prevention messages and to promote VCT services.

Jean-Paul II Hospital first opened its doors in 1990 and was renamed in 1992 following a state visit by Pope Jean-Paul II.  The Hospital serves a population of over 300,000 and functions under the auspices of the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Promotion of Women and Children.

Photo: A sign reading: "Be sure by getting tested for HIV," heralds the opening of the VCT center at Jean-Paul II Hospital. The hospital, located in the capital, serves a surrounding community of over 300,000. (FHI)
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Additional photo: View Dr. Hadja Mariama Dielo Barry address the crowd attending opening ceremonies of the VCT clinic as featured on the Guinea home page. Dr. Barry, the Executive Secretary of the CNLS, praised the commitment of USAID and FHI/Guinea to collaborate closely with the CNLS, following the standards outlined in the national plan to fight HIV/AIDS in Guinea. (FHI)