Wake-keeping ban to stem spread of HIV/AIDS

Effutu-Essiam, (C/R) Aug. 24 GNA - The chiefs and people of Effutu-Essiam a farming community in the Cape Coast municipality have decided to ban wake-keeping in their community in a bid to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Nana Wiredu III, Abrem-Essiahene, who made this known when the Stabbers Organisation, a Cape Coast-based NGO presented items worth 2.4 million cedis to the aged of the Effutu-Essiam community on Saturday said it has become necessary for the ban due to the promiscuous life among the youth, particularly during funerals and other social gathering.

The items include four cartons of soap, two bags of rice, a bag of salt and toilet roll.

Nana Wiredu expressed concern about the way the disease was spreading in the country, adding that some people take advantage of wake-keeping to indulge in all kinds of anti-social activities and urged parents to advise their children to exercise restraint, be self-disciplined and abstain form pre-marital sex.

He commended the NGO for selecting Effutu-Essiam for its programme and pledged their support for all their programmes and activities. He used the occasion to appeal to them to build a clinic to address their health needs, since they have to walk for more than 12 miles before they reach the nearest health centre, at times resulting in the death of patients.

Nana Wiredu also appealed to them to establish fruit processing factory in the area to create jobs for the youth to stop them from moving to the cities in search for non-existing jobs.

Mr. MacCarthy, president and founder of the organisation said the NGO was established three years ago and their aim is to address issues affecting the elderly in society and to provide them with their needs. He said plans were far advanced to establish a rehabilitation centre to cater for the aged and urged the public to take care of the aged and not brand them as witches and wizards.