Discrimination hindering HIV reduction

Mr Charles Kwadwo Oppong, Programme Manager of the Ghana Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (NAP+GHANA), has said that the two main obstacles in the effort to reduce HIV and AIDS in Ghana were stigma and discrimination.

He said in order to overcome those challenges there was the need for a more vigorous policy to protect persons living with the disease from being stigmatized and discriminated.

Mr Oppong said this when speaking at a day’s sensitization forum on Sexual Reproductive Health for HIV positive women in Koforidua.

The forum, which is aimed at promoting the sexual and reproductive health rights of HIV positive women in Ghana was organized by NAP+GHANA, the Ghana AIDS Commission and funded by DANIDA.

Mr Oppong said the primary aim of NAP+GHANA was to support HIV positive women in sexual and reproductive health education and to help reduce the prevalent rate and new infections.

The Eastern Regional focal person on HIV/AIDS, Ms Golda Asante, reminded the participants that people living with HIV/AIDS were not different from people without the disease so they should not be intimidated.

She said the Eastern Region had the highest prevalence rate of 4.2 percent of the 2010 Sentinel Survey saying that was a worrying development and urged all stakeholders to join forces to intensify the campaign.

Ms Rose Nani, an HIV/AIDS Counsellor at the Koforidua Central Hospital, urged HIV/AIDS patients to regularly take their drugs and not to be disturbed about their predicament.

Source: GNA