Politicians
challenged
to fight
HIV/AIDS
Adantia
(B/A),
Dec. 3,
Ghanadot/GNA
– Mrs.
Agartha
Mansa
Siaw,
assembly
member
for
Adantia
in the
Sunyani
West
District,
has
challenged
politicians
to
identify
remedies
that
would
help
prevent
the
spread
of
HIV/AIDS
in the
country.
She
asked
politicians
to play
active
and
concerted
role in
the
fight
against
the
disease
that had
become a
national
canker.
Mrs.
Siaw was
speaking
at a
durbar
jointly
organized
by the
African
Media
Aid,
African
Assistance
Plan and
Glorious
Victory
Ministries,
all
non-governmental
organisations
(NGOs),
at
Adantia
to mark
the
celebration
of this
year’s
World
AIDS
Day.
She said
that
Ghana
was
losing a
significant
per cent
of her
working
force to
HIV/AIDS
but
little
attention
and
support
was
being
given to
curb the
disease.
Mr. Siaw
expressed
worry
about
the
upsurge
of
sexual
promiscuity
among
the
youth in
the
district
and
urged
chiefs
to
support
the
promotion
of the
use of
condom.
He also
called
on the
assembly
to enact
bye-laws
to ban
pupils
and
students
from
attending
video
shows,
concerts,
funerals
and
other
social
events.
Nana
Kwame
Apraku
II,
Chief of
Adantia,
called
for the
reinforcement
of
cultural
practices
such as
puberty
rites to
control
illicit
sexual
practices
among
the
youth.
He
appealed
to
parents
to
provide
their
children,
especially
the
girls
with
their
basic
necessities.
Mr.
Godlove
Rapheal
Ahenu,
Chief
Executive
Officer
of
African
Media
Aid,
said
government
spent
huge
sums of
money
annually
on the
control
of
HIV/AIDS
and
urged
the
people
to
change
their
sexual
habit.
He
advised
the
public
to
desist
from
stigmatizing
People
Living
with
HIV/AIDS
to help
prevent
the
spread
of the
disease.
Mr.
Ahenu
said the
NGO
would
initiate
a
programme
to help
control
drug
abuse,
spread
of
HIV/AIDS
and
illegal
abortion
among
the
youth in
the
area.
He said
“Pupils
and
students
in all
communities
in the
district
will be
provided
with
learning
and
teaching
materials,
as well
as basic
needs of
life
under
the 250
million
dollars
five-year
project.”
GNA
