Efforts by the Jamaica Red Cross to reduce the stigma and increase education on HIV/AIDS in Jamaica, received a boost yesterday, with the donation of US$30,000 (J$1,962,000) from the United States Embassy in Kingston.

The money will be used to fund mobilisation of participants and pay for venue to be used by the Jamaica Red Cross in its primary activity programme called "Community Sensitisation Session" scheduled to be held once per month in all parishes.

The donation was made under the Ambassador's Small Grants Programme for HIV/AIDS and was handed over at the US Embassy's offices on Oxford Road, New Kingston.

Twenty persons living with HIV/AIDS are expected to participate in the sessions along with at least 25 staff and volunteers.

According to Marvin Gunter, national director of HIV/AIDS at the Jamaica Red Cross, the sessions will address three main areas:

The knowledge level of the people in the communities.

Their skills level in terms of how they will protect themselves from becoming infected with HIV and if they are already HIV positive, how will they live healthier lives.

It will address attitude by having someone who is HIV positive have quality interaction with the people who are at the community level, so they can ask pertinent questions.

Through the primary programme, it is hoped that by May 2007, a change in attitude will be effected in 50,000 Jamaicans by the rights based education and training opportunities as well as quality interfacing and interaction with people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS.

Speaking at the handing over ceremony, US Ambassador Brenda LaGrange Johnson stressed the importance of education regarding HIV/AIDS.

"We at the US Embassy are honoured to be a partner with this distinguished organisation in the fight against the scourge of HIV/AIDS," the ambassador said.

To this end, she noted that in October, 2007, the embassy will be holding a CARICOM HIV/AIDS conference to address the disease in the region.

The embassy is inviting agenda ideas for the conference.