The Executive Director of New Seed international, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Livinus Acquah Jackson says the only way of overcoming the spread of HIV and AIDS is to provide adequate care and support for People Living with the virus.

He has therefore called on government to intensify its policies on care and support in response to the pandemic and ensure that they are properly implemented.

He was optimistic that this will also help control stigmatisation which has become a great hurdle in the fight against the epidemic and hence encourage people to go for voluntary counseling and testing.

Mr Acquah Jackson was addressing a Press Conference in Ho on the theme, “Changing the HIV and AIDS Strategic Landscape in the Volta Region; Agenda for Effective Action”.

According to him people are reluctant to know their status because of the fear of being stigmatised, a situation that is making AIDS a “silent” killer.

Mr Acquah Jackson also advised government to make anti-retroviral drugs accessible and possibly free for people living with HIV adding that community drug support teams should be established to monitor the medication of patients.

He called for the expansion of medical facilities to cover palliative and hospice center as well as create centers to deal with positive living activities such as proper nutrition and social counseling.

Commenting on herbal cure, Mr Acquah Jackson challenged herbalists who claim to have cure for the virus to send their medicine to the appropriate quarters for prove.

The Volta Regional Director of the Department of Women, Miss Lena Alai, stressed the need for women to be more involved in the AIDS response since they are the most vulnerable.

She also underscored the need for a strong political and religious will in the intervention of care and support for PLHIV saying “we must go beyond seeing the disease the result of immoral acts and offer the needed care and support to those affected”.

The Ho Municipal Director of Health Services, Dr John Eleezer mentioned that his Directorate is currently embarking on a project to encourage Voluntary Counseling and Testing throughout the region by reaching the people in their communities, markets places and other social centers.

He said so far the response has been very encouraging adding that Ghanaians are beginning to accept facts about the virus.

New Seed International is an NGO committed to offering care and support to PLHIV.
The organisation owns a Palliative Center at Sokode in the Ho Municipality which offers health care to communities in and around the area. The center also has a school, bakery and trains young women in Batik making

Source : ISD (Yvonne Elipkim Harley)
Posted : 24/09/08

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