Juaso (Ash), Oct 5, GNA- Dr Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe, Asante-Akim South District Director of Health Services, has said that the best way to avoid contracting HIV/AIDS was to consider everyone a potential carrier of the virus.

He said such a mentality would go a long way to control people's sexual lifestyles, since casual and unprotected sex was the major cause of the disease and advocated a sustained campaign to that effect. Dr Asiedu-Bekoe was speaking at a day's sensitisation workshop on HIV/AIDS for stakeholders at Juaso on Wednesday.

Traditional authorities, opinion leaders and assembly members attended the workshop, which was funded by the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC).

According to Dr Asiedu-Bekoe, the national figures on the prevalent rate of the disease did not reflect the situation on the ground, since there were dozens of HIV/AIDS patients yet to be tested.

He, however, noted that the figures served as a guide for the fight against the disease, adding that in every 100 Ghanaians, four were HIV positive.

The District Health Director disclosed that 2,663 people had been tested between 2001 and 2006 at the Juaso District Hospital out of which 234 tested positive representing 8.8 per cent. Mr William Ansah Kwakye, the District Social Welfare Officer, urged the participants to sensitise people in their communities to avoid stigmatising HIV/AIDS victims, saying, "Such practice could compel some to spread the disease".

He said HIV/AIDS patients go through psychological distress that required the support and comfort of family and friends instead of condemnation.

Mr Kwakye observed that there were numerous interventions for identified victims in the district and advised AIDS patients to avail themselves of the benefits.