Era of polygamous marriage and many children is past-Okyenhene

Asikam (E/R), Nov. 29, GNA- The Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amotia Ofori Panin, has observed that the days of polygamous marriage and bearing of many children is outmoded.

He stated that the world was now being threatened by the HIV/AIDS pandemic, which had no cure and is spread mostly through unprotected sex and advised adults who cannot stick to their permanent partners to use the condom.

Osagyefuo Ofori Panin was speaking at Asikam Junction near Kyebi on Saturday, when he stopped to educate a group of people observing the Third Okyeman HIV/AIDS marathon race and walk during which he led hundreds of participants from Asiakwa to Kibi.

The Okyenhene Marathon race and walk was instituted three years ago to climax the annual "Okyeman HIV/AIDS Education Week" which aims at helping to reduce the spread of the HIV/AIDS in the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Area.

He emphasised that "the HIV/AIDS is real and does not know the rich, poor , elderly, children or the chief," adding that those who get infected by the disease had it not because they had been cursed.

Osagyefuo Ofori-Panin advised the people to undertake Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) to know their HIV status so that those who would test positive could seek early health care while those who would test negative would know how to live without spreading the disease.

Later at a durbar at Kyebi, Professor S. A. Amoa, Director General of the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC), called on religious organisations to stop being "judgmental and regarding people who have contracted the HIV/AIDS as being immoral, unfaithful, sinners and witches."

He explained that such tendencies helped to promote discrimination and stigmatisation of People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) thereby creating an environment that forces such people to go underground and infect others to increase the spread of the pandemic.

Prof. Amoa called for effective policies that would promote support and care, tolerance and compassion for PLWHAs rather than coercion, discrimination , stigmatisation and exclusion.

The UNFPA Resident Representative in Ghana, Mr Moses Mukasa observed that throughout history, humanity had always faced dangers of extinction from epidemics and the solution had always been the collective will and determination of society to face the challenges.

He said HIV/AIDS and the associated stigma and discrimination were the challenges of the time and expressed his appreciation that Osagyefuo Ofori Panin was leading the fight against the disease in his traditional area and assured him the support of his office.