The Barbados Football Association (BFA) was founded in 1910
and celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2010.
Bridgetown,
Barbados – The Barbados Football Association
(BFA) has announced a new partnership with the Ministry of Health and Wellness HIV/STI
Program Office in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Wellness
Adolescent Health.
The partnership was officially launched
on Wednesday at the BFA Technical Centre in Wildey, with BFA President Randy
Harris, BFA FIFA Talent Development Scheme (TDS) Manager Dale Rudder, Senior Medical
Officer of Health with responsibility for the HIV/STI Program Dr. Dale Babb,
and Community Health Education Consultant in the Ministry of Health and Wellness
HIV/STI Program Sade Leon-Folkes.
The collaborative HIV/STI Sexual
Reproductive Health (SRH) Community Outreach Program is expected to begin in
the coming weeks and is designed to improve awareness about SRH, as well as increase
access to SRH information and services such as check-ups, HIV testing and STI screening,
and mental health support.
The Program’s outreach activities will include free
and confidential HIV testing and STI screening, distribution of HIV/STI educational
materials, condom demonstrations
and distribution, and the facilitation of open discussions and community
dialogue surrounding HIV/STI transmission, prevention, care, and support.
Dr. Babb explained the partnership
with the BFA was chosen due to the inherent bonds that exist within football
teams and within the local football community, which will assist the Ministry
in sharing health education messages on a wider scale, given the breadth and
reach of the football fraternity throughout all parishes across the island.
BFA President Randy Harris put his
full support behind the partnership and thanked the Ministry of Health and
Wellness for the opportunity for the BFA to be part of such a pivotal community
engagement initiative.
“National health education is a shared
responsibility and the BFA is pleased to be offered the chance to play our part
to assist in not only educating and empowering our players as it relates to
sexual and reproductive health, but to use football to help spread these
important messages further out into the broader community,” he said. “Given
that football is such a fundamental part of the fabric of Barbadian society, the
synergy between the two entities makes great sense and the BFA looks forward to
strengthening this relationship as we seek to create and build more corporate
and social partnerships that can contribute to transformational development within
both football and society at large.”
###
Caption: (left
to right) BFA FIFA Talent Development Manager Dale Rudder, BFA President Randy
Harris, Senior Medical Officer of
Health with responsibility for the HIV/STI Program Dr. Dale Babb, and Community
Health Education Consultant in the Ministry of Health and Wellness HIV/STI
Program Sade Leon-Folkes (image courtesy of Barbados Today).
Media
enquires:
Amy
Goulding
BFA Communications Director
+1 (246) 820 8695
Comments (0)