DCE urged to get actively involved in fighting HIV/AIDS

Tatale (N/R), June 6, GNA- A Tamale-based non-governmental organisation, dedicated to the provision of social and humanitarian services, has urged district chief executives, to play a more meaningful role in the fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Mr Abdul Rahaman Mohammed Abdulai, Executive Director of the Organization for Community Assistance and Development (OCAD), made the call at a day's seminar on HIV/AIDS prevention at Tatale in the Zabzugu/Tatale District in the Northern Region.

OCAD is being sponsored by the Ghana AIDS Commission to organise public education campaigns on the virus. Mr Abdulai expressed regret that despite the sustainable campaign on HIV/AIDS, public attitude towards immoral and unprotected sexual practices has not changed.

Alhaji Yakubu Bukari, District Chief Executive, said the nation should focus on voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) for HIV/AIDS to facilitate efforts to combat the pandemic. "There is the need for HIV/AIDS peer educators to focus and pay more attention on the very remote areas".

Mr Alhassan Amadu, Northern Regional Population Officer stressed the need for people to use condom as a means of curbing the infection and the establishment of VCT centres in every region.

He said there was the need to make the retroviral drugs available in all regional hospitals, to enable people living with HIV/AIDS to have easy access to the medication.