Concern over Increasing rate of HIV/AIDS in Bole

Bole (N/R), Oct. 12, GNA - Mr. Tiffy Samuel Damanga, Chairman of the association of People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHIV) in Bole, at the weekend raised concern about the increasing rate of HIV and AIDS in the Bole district, saying his organization had recently recorded 151 infected persons.

He attributed the trend to a 'galamsey' mining site at Kwui, a community in the district which has attracted people from all walks of life including Burkina Faso, and La Cote d' Ivoire, and which has also created a breeding ground for promiscuity in the area. "The whole town would soon be thrown into an epidemic or a calamity if immediate steps are not taken", Mr. Damanga said.

The PLWHIV chairman was speaking at a forum in Bole in the Northern Region during a sensitization and advocacy programme organized by ActionAid, an NGO, to create awareness about the AIDS pandemic. The forum which was supported by the United Nation's Population Fund (UNFPA), attracted about 50 participants. The Deputy Coordinating Director of Bole/Bamboi District Assembly, Mr. Wumbe Zakaria, called on the government to assist the Assembly to deal with the situation.

Mr. Zakaria who is also the District HIV Focal Person, called on the police and other security agencies to immediately check the sex trade in the Kwui galamsey site. Miss Rahinatu Fuseini, Action Aid Programme Officer on Gender and Women's Rights, urged the people to desist from stigmatizing HIV and AIDS patients since that could worsen their situation.

She said a research conducted by Action Aid Ghana in the three Northern regions revealed that violence against women contributed to the spread of HIV/AIDS, and appealed to the menfolk to desist from the act. Miss Fuseini also called for the empowerment of women for the total benefit of society. 12 Oct. 09