Regional News of Monday, 11 August 2003

Source: GNA

HIV/AIDS patients should be quarantined - Participants

Akropong-Akuapem (E/R), Aug. 11, GNA - Members of Ghana Association of the Blind (GAB) have suggested to the government to pass a law to quarantine people living with HIV/AIDS as a means of checking the spread of the disease.

They made the suggestion at a workshop on HIV/ADS organised for members of the Association in the Eastern and Greater Accra regions at the School for the Blind at Akropong-Akuapem on Saturday.

The headmaster of the school, Mr Henry Ahiable, said the workshop was part of a series of programmes designed to educate the blind on the spread and prevention of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

He said the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) had released funds to support the Association in its campaign against the menace, adding that the school had purchased a set of brass band instruments to be used in the crusade.

Mr Ahiable said for the programme to be effective, civic clubs have been formed and that more than 500 blind persons would benefit from the education programme to keep them well informed on the pandemic.

The focal person on AIDS at the Akuapem North District Assembly, Mr Kwasi Amakye Darko, said statistics on the prevalence rate kept soaring and advised the blind to take the education on the disease seriously, adding, "your disability is not an automatic exclusion from getting the virus."