CBO makes breakthrough in voluntary testing for AIDS

Ejura (Ash), Jan 27, GNA- Ebuom Life Ambassadors Club, a Community-Based Organisation (CBO) on HIV/AIDS in the Ejura-Sekyedumase district, has made a breakthrough on voluntary testing for the disease. The people, predominantly farmers have hitherto resisted attempts to have the voluntary tests.

The breakthrough was achieved through friendly approach and proper counselling adopted by the club in its efforts to persuade the people to know their health status in an attempt to reduce the spread of the disease.

Mr Brandford Twumasi-Ankrah, Co-ordinator of the club, who announced this on Friday at an HIV/AIDS counselling workshop for farmers at Adiembra near Ejura, said the strategy had helped a widow to know that she and her three-year-old daughter had been infected with the disease.

The two-day workshop, which was organised by the club in collaboration with the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC), drew over 400 participants from Ebuom, Bayerenkwanta, Amenamu and Nyamebekyere. It was aimed at equipping the participants with the necessary skills and knowledge in counselling in view of the rising spread of the disease.

Mr Twumasi-Ankrah said since discovering that the woman and her daughter had the disease, the club had for sometime now being caring for them since the woman was a widow and appealed for assistance for the upkeep of the woman and her daughter. Mr Osei Kufuor, secretary to the club, implored the public to extend love and show compassion towards people living with the disease to motivate them to share their experiences with others. He called on government agencies and social workers to get directly involved in the fight against stigmatisation.