Revellers on Kwahu Mountains undertake HIV/AIDS test

The Ghana Aids Commission and Actionplus Foundation, facilitated the voluntary testing of more than 300 revellers during the Easter holiday on the Kwahu Mountains.

The Kwahu South District Health Directorate and Oboaba Care, a health related organisation, assisted in the HIV and AIDS testing which formed part of Actionplus’ comprehensive programme to educate the people on the need to know their status and where to find help.

In an interview with Ghana News Agency, Reverend Fred Anin, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Actionplus, said the Foundation decided to organise the programme on the Kwahu Mountains because during Easter, thousands of people travel there for home coming activities where human frailties and sexual desires take the sidelines.

According to him, the Eastern Region has a high prevalence rate of HIV and AIDS and saw the occasion as very strategic to help improve on the education and the sensitisation on the disease.

Rev Anin said his foundation would fight the pandemic, which is eroding the health and productivity of people in the region and Ghana as a whole.

“HIV is like a ruthless invading army, which shatters the immune system and leaves the human body like a vast unprotected field thus allowing many diseases to plunder the body until death puts it out its misery,” he added.

He said the stigma attached to the pandemic is fading away because his team has no difficulty in convincing people to test adding that unlike years ago when people would not come openly to check their status let alone have their faces and voices captured on tape.

Rev Anin noted that Kwahu has become a place where people go and socialise and they have to know that AIDS is real and when enjoying themselves they have to take precautions.

He called on government and donor agencies to support their activities to enable them enlarge their scope of work to help reduce the spread of the pandemic.

Mr Ebenezer Paddy, Disease Control Officer, Kwahu South District Health Directorate, commended the initiative of Actionplus foundation and for partnering the health directorate.