Kofi-Badukrom (B/A), Dec 2, GNA - Nana Agemang Boakye, Chief of Kofi-Badukrom, a border town in the Dormaa District of the Brong-Ahafo Region on Wednesday, called on the society not to stigmatise HIV/AIDS victims, saying, this was the major cause of the spread of the menace in the country.

HIV/AIDS victims he said should not be abandoned but rather shown kindness, compassion, love and care to enable them to live longer. He was speaking at an HIV/AIDS campaign at Kofi-Badukrom jointly organised by the Redemption Care International (RCI) and Hope For African Children Initiative (HACI), as part of the activities towards the celebration of the World AIDS Day.

Nana Agemang Boakye explained that since HIV/AIDS victims were considered outcast in society, they felt lonely and hid their health status thereby spreading the disease.

He noted that the disease was no respecter of persons and said "anyone is at risk of contacting the menace".

"What you do to others would be done to you," he said and stressed the need to embrace the victims to enhance their living. Nana Yaa Peprah Agyemang Amekudzi, Country's Director of HACI, urged parents to send their children to school and not to engage them in business ventures that could risk their lives.

She appealed to Ghanaians to fight the disease since it was taking away lives of mostly the youth.

Evangelist Nana Yaa Abrafi Bonsu, Executive Director of RCI, the NGO was committed to help curb the disease particularly in border areas and charged the youth to abstain from pre-marital sex to avoid the disease.

She pointed out, however, that RCI alone could not fight the disease without the help of the people and appealed to the people to assist in fighting against the disease. 02 Dec 04