Family Heads attend workshop on HIV/AIDS

Akim Achiase (E/R), May 18, GNA - The "We Care Health Organisation", a Community Based Organisation (CBO) at Akim Achiase in the Birim South District on Tuesday, organised a day's sensitisation workshop on HIV/AIDS for about 100 family heads and opinion leaders. The participants who were educated on the difference between HIV and AIDS were expected to provide home-based care for people living with Aids (PLWHA) in their areas.

Mr Ben Adu Nyinaku, a Project Officer with Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG), explained that while HIV is the virus that causes AIDS, AIDS is the disease caused by HIV infection. He advised that PLWAHs should not be stigmatised nor treated with scorn but should be give the necessary care and support to help pro-long their lives.

Mr Nyinaku expressed concern about the fact that even though awareness of the disease was high; the prevalent rate keeps on rising and called for behavioural change among individuals. He said if care was not taken to check the spread of the disease, "sooner than later, Ghana will be experiencing the situation similar to what is happening in some African countries, where children are now family heads."

Mr Nyinaku said, as at now, there is no known cure for the disease and urged people to ignore claims by some herbalists that they have found a cure for it.

In an answer to a question, he made it clear that mosquitoes did not transmit HIV/AIDS, adding that sexual intercourse accounted for about 85 per cent of its transmission.