Do not associate all HIV/AIDS victims with immorality

Kumasi, Dec. 7, GNA - Ghanaians have been advised to desist from associating all HIV/AIDS victims with immoral activities since it was not true that all of them acquired the disease through illicit or casual sex.

The Reverend Kofi Boateng, Co-founder of the 'Anidasuo Ne Nkabom Kuo', a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) with a mission of promoting care for HIV/AIDS victims, said some of the patients acquired the disease through accidents and blood transfusions among other things.

Rev Boateng, who gave the advice at a fund-raising dinner held by the NGO in support of people living with HIV/AIDS in Kumasi on Saturday, said it would, therefore, be misleading and erroneous for "any one to accuse all HIV/AIDS victims of immorality.

"Labelling all HIV victims as immoral, has largely contributed to the reluctance of most AIDS patients to openly declare that they are AIDS victims and also the unwillingness of people to opt for voluntary testing to ascertain their HIV status", he observed.

He urged Ghanaians to also desist from treating HIV/AIDS patients with contempt and rather begin to show love and compassion to them.

Mr Kofi Akohene Mensah, Project Co-ordinator of the NGO, announced that the group was currently caring for 100 HIV/AIDS patients of which 12 were children.

Mr Mensah said they decided to focus on promotion and maintenance of people living with HIV/AIDS in the system because of the realisation that most NGOs had their focus only on creating awareness about the menace while forgetting those already infected with the disease.

He used the occasion to appeal to philanthropic groups and individuals to assist them financially and in kind to facilitate their work of caring for the AIDS patients.

Mr Mensah commended the Aninwah Medical Centre at Emena, which was the only institution that provided financial support to the NGO for the care of the HIV/AIDS patients.