Health Age Ghana organises screening test for the aged

Accra, Feb. 8, GNA - The Health Age Ghana in collaboration with Society for Women Against HIV and AIDS in Africa (SWAA) on Tuesday organised a medical screening on HIV and AIDS for the aged at Achimota, an Accra suburb.. The advocacy was to indicate to the National AIDS Commission that, it is not only the youth that can be affected with these deadly diseases but the old people as well.

Mrs Aku Xornam Kevi, National Coordinator of SWAA, said the aged should not be left out in educating the public on the symptoms of the disease since the virus had no respect for the aged.

She noted that majority of the aged did not have any knowledge about the diseases but were the life care takers of the youth. "The aged will endeavour to save the lives of their children, therefore, if they are not educated, they could not handle their relatives infected with the disease," She added.

Mrs Kevi said the aged needed to be tested as well as the youth in order to ensure a healthy society. She said, some of the aged were engaged in relationship with the youth and when they were infected they would not know and in the process infect other people with the virus. Mrs Kevi said it was important for the aged to have regular check up t= o know their status. She urged the National Strategic Committee Plan on HIV and AIDS to include the aged in the society from 50 years and above when drafting the HIV and AIDS programmes for every five years, because in the past the aged were not involved. Mr Aaron Odua-Mensah, Staff of Health Age Ghana, said the advocacy message was to ensure that when the National Policy was drafted for 2011-2015, the aged should be considered. He said after the screening exercise, those infected with any disease would be sent to the hospital for treatment.