Give more support to adolescent HIV/AIDS patients – Pediatrician

Mothers whose adolescent children are living with the HIV- AIDS have been urged to provide them with the needed support and care to enable them to lead normal lives.

They should show love to them, make them feel wanted and must never be shunned, said Dr Anthony Enimil, a Pediatrician at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH),  when he made the call at a workshop held for such 30 mothers in Kumasi.

The programme was organized jointly by KATH-HIV Clinic, Esther-Germany, Bernard Notch Institute, and the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Adolescent Research (KCCR) and the goal of the event was to assist and help improve the quality of care for the adolescent patient.

The many issues that came up for discussion included the mode of transmission, handling sexual relationships of the youth and ensuring personal hygiene.

Dr Enimil said there is the need to do more to tackle stigmatization against those infected with the disease and encouraged mothers to ensure that those patients carrying the HIV took their medication as directed by the health providers.

Madam Dela Ocloo, a Nurse and Counselor at the HIV clinic, advised pregnant mothers living with the disease to visit the health facilities to prevent mother-to-child transmission.

The event was under the theme: “Management of HIV infected adolescent”.

Source: GNA