Ghanaians advised to go in for VCT

Ghanaians have been advised to go in for Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) in order to be sure of their HIV/AIDS status so that those found to be positive could be given anti-retroviral therapy.

Pastor Ernest Gyening, the Executive Director of Future Eye for Development (FED), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) at Akyem Wenchi in the Kwaebibirem District in the Eastern Region, gave the advice when the NGO organised a forum at Wenchi, dubbed; “Be sure of Yourself”, for the youth and identifiable groups in the area.

Pastor Gyening also advised the youth to avoid promiscuity and called on parents to encourage their children to go for the tests, adding that chiefs, elders and opinion leaders should also come together to assist in fighting the HIV/AIDS pandemic in their
various communities.

Speaking on the need for both pregnant and expectant mothers to be visiting hospital regularly for check-ups, Ms Rose Nanor, the Matron of the Kade District Health Centre, condemned the refusal of some expectant mothers to deliver in the hospitals.

She said this made it difficult for them to record the number of newborn babies who had been infected with the virus.

Statistics which Ms Nanor gave indicated that from January to December 2007, the district recorded 159 pregnant women and 234 others who tested positive.

As part of the programme, VCT was conducted for the participants.