Persons living with HIV/AIDS get new board

The substantive advisory board of the Ghana Network of Persons Living with HIV/AIDS (NAP+ Ghana) was, on Monday inaugurated with a charge on members to provide expertise on NAP+ Ghana's vision and strategic direction.

They were also tasked to encourage people to test and know their status, and when tested positive, victims should be enrolled onto the association for proper healthcare services to be accorded them, Dr Mokowa Blay Adu-Gyamfi, the Director General of the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC), who administered the oath of the office of the 11-member board said.

She stated: "As we are aware, keeping stock of drugs, spreading the benefits of people knowing their status, suppressing virus of pregnant women to their children for unborn babies to be safe is what NAP+ Ghana has been advocating all these years and the new board will continue."

The Board is chaired by Dr Isaac Annan, the Director of Human Rights at the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice.

Other members are; Mr Stephen Ayisi Addo, of the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP), Mr Edem Dafeamekpor also of NACP, Madam Angela Trenton-Mbonde, the Country Director of UNAIDS and Mr Henry Najai, Director of John Snow Institute.

Others are; Nana Adjoa Nortei-Adu, the Communication Manager of West Africa AIDS Foundation (WAAF), Madam Gifty A.D Marley also of WAAF, Mr Cosmos Ohene-Adjei, the Acting Director, Technical Services GAC, and Mr Emmanuel Suurkure Beluzebr, the President of NAP+ Ghana.

Dr Adu-Gyamfi noted that the board which would serve for four years also had the responsibility of mobilising, working and catering for all persons living with HIV by ensuring their free drugs were served on time.

Touching on the World AIDS DAY scheduled for December 1, the Director General of the GAC, advised the citizenry to get tested, know their status, and get treatment and stay with it.

The global theme for this year's World AIDS Day is "The Right to Health."

Mr Isaac Annan, the new chair-elect called for support from other members for NAP+ Ghana to serve its purpose of establishment adding; "I accept and appreciate the enormity of the task and I know the goals will be met."