Current Press Releases

United States Sponsors AIDS Testing Clinic for RSLAF

Freetown, 4 September 07
Contact: Public Affairs Officer, Danna Van Brandt
Tel: 076-678-396

The United States Department of Defense HIV/AIDS Prevention Program in Sierra Leone (DHAPP SL) has funded the construction of a Voluntary Confidential Counseling and Testing Center or VCCT Center on the grounds of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) 5^th Brigade Headquarters at Gondama, Bo District.  This is the first facility AIDS testing facility specifically built for members of the RSLAF and their families. 

The VCCT Center will focus primarily on three areas:  education of RSLAF personnel and peer-counselors on HIV-AIDS; counseling personnel before, during and after testing; and providing HIV/AIDS as well as HIV/AIDS related testing and results on the site.  Secondarily, it will provide the same services to the immediate families of RSLAF members in the Gondama and Bo communities.  Finally, the facility will serve as a facility for the exchange of information on HIV/AIDS between civilian and military medical personnel in the region.

The VCCT facility in Gondama will serve as the blueprint for the next two VCCT Centers to be built for the RSLAF in the coming year, also with funding from the United States Defense Department.  The next project will serve 4^th Brigade at Makeni, with the final building serving the 3^rd Brigade in Kenema.

The total project of three new buildings is sponsored by the United States Department of Defense HIV/AIDS Prevention Program in Sierra Leone (DHAPP SL) administered from the Defense Attaché Office, United States Embassy, Freetown.  Mrs. Adeola Danner has been the project coordinator, and is responsible for the administration of the project.  Additionally, the conception, design and construction has been done by the RSLAF Engineers under Lt Col M.B. Massaquoi and Capt M.K. Jawara.

The opening ceremony at Gondama on August 31, 2007 was attended by the Chief of Defense Staff, Joint Force Commander, 5^th Brigade commander as well a other senior RSLAF officers.