Source: Ben LARYEA
The Ayawaso North Municipal Assembly as part of the effort to create more awareness on the health needs of the citizenry in the municipality particularly HIV/AIDS and Covid – 19 have held a day stakeholders engagement under the theme “HIV/AIDS – COVID – 19” in Accra.
The move is to sensitize the public on the rising increase of the said diseases and measurers that must be vigorously applied to curb the spread of the disease.
In addition, the gesture is to scale up the education about the disease and to dispel the stigma associated with it to enable victims be reintegrated back into society.
Speaking to a cross section of the public, the Municipal Health Director, Dr. Sophia Quist disclosed that cases of HIV/AIDS is on the increase in the Greater Accra Region and described the situation as very worrying.
According to her, the region have recorded four new cases and urged the citizenry to apply the safety protocols all fields of endeavours.
She revealed that eighty percent (80%) of the HIV transmissions is mainly through unprotected sex and added further that fifteen percent (15%) is also through mother to child transmission as five percent (5%) occurs as a result of wrong blood transmission.
She however advice carriers of the disease to be bold enough to report their condition the nearest health facility and explained that early treatment will prolong the health status, victims must ignored the aspect of stigma and embarked on full scale medication.
Dr. Quist urged infected persons to engage health officers at their respective Anti – Retroviral Therapy Centers and explained that there is “no cure for HIV but the medications as prescribed will manage conditions.
The Nima Divisional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police, (ACP) Abraham Acquaye praised the assembly for the periodic engagement and urged other assemblies to emulate the example, adding that AIDS is real therefore people must adopt and adhere to the safety requirements.
For her part, the Municipal National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) Director, Mrs. Eunice Nkrumah said her outfit will continue to rollout more initiatives as part of the awareness creation and the education on HIV/AIDS and COVID – 19, adding that the disease is real and urged the public to apply the needed precautionary measures and urged the citizenry to continue to keep their surroundings clean and also do periodic clean up exercise within the municipality and added that it is the surest way to embrace a healthy lifestyle.
The Municipal NCCE Director advised parents to monitor the activities of their children particularly their school attendance and studies and urged them to keep eye on their wards when attending internet café and the betting centers.
