Ghana to commemorate World AIDS Day
Ghana will on Monday, December 2, 2013, commemorate this year’s World AIDS Day at Wa, in the Upper West Region.
In view of that, Her Excellency, the First Lady of Ghana, Mrs. Lordina Dramani Mahama, Chairperson and Member of the UNAIDS Global Response for the Elimination of Mother-to-Child-Transmission of HIV, would on Tuesday, November 5, launch the event in Accra to commence a month long period of activities leading to the World’s AIDS Day on the 1st of December, 2013
A statement from the office of the President, copied to the Ghana News Agency on Sunday said, “The day reminds us of the devastating impact of the HIV and AIDS epidemic on the nation and enables us to reflect on the contributions and commitments to a sustained national HIV and AIDS response.
It said the United Nations designated the December 1, each year as “World AIDS Day” and is commemorated worldwide, adding that, this year’s theme is “Getting to Zero: Zero New HIV Infections, Zero Discrimination, Zero AIDS Related Deaths”.
It said however that, Ghana has chosen the sub-theme: “Accelerating the national response towards the MDG’s.”
The statement said the commemorative national durbar to be held on Monday, December 2, 2013, at the Jubilee Park in Wa, would be addressed by His Excellency, John Dramani Mahama, President of the Republic of Ghana and Chairman of the Ghana AIDS Commission.
It said the national durbar will be preceded by Islamic prayers on Friday, November 29, 2013 and a non-denominational church service on Sunday, 1st December 2013.
Highlights of activities towards the World AIDS Day include: the launch of the First Lady’s Advocacy Campaign of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV and Keeping their Mothers Alive, sensitisation of Ghanaians on the benefits of HIV testing and counselling.
Other activities are community engagement by the Heart-to-Heart Ambassadors, visit of Heart-to-Heart Ambassadors to Antenatal clinics in Greater Accra Region, sponsored health walk in aid of People Living with HIV and AIDS and HIV orphans and talk shows on Radio and TV across the country. The rest of the activities are HIV and AIDS education programs in various Ghanaian languages, targeting rural and urban populations, free testing for HIV and syphilis and the screening for Breast and Cervical cancer.
Source: GNA