General News of Thursday, 5 June 2003

Source: gna

Parents advised against injection by chemical sellers

The National Treasurer of the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG), Mr. Eric Boateng, has urged children to advisee their parents against taking injection from chemical sellers.

He said it was illegal for chemical sellers to inject their customers and to sell certain category of drugs.

Mr. Boateng gave the advice at a talk on HIV/AIDS at the Korle Nkwanta Anglican Primary School, near Koforidua on Wednesday, organised by the Koforidua branch of the PPAG sponsored by the Ghana AIDS Response Fund (GARFUND).

He warned that such injections could expose them to disease if the syringe had been used on an HIV positive person or could cause abscess if not properly done, which could lead to leg amputation.

Mr. Boateng advised the children to protect themselves against activities that could expose them to the HIV virus to enable them to grow into adults for the benefit of their family, community and the country.

The Deputy Eastern Regional Population Officer, Mr. Kofi Agyei-Baafi, advised the pupils to abstain from pre-marital sex to protect them from the disease.

He told them that condoms were made for adults and not for children and said they should desist from playing with syringes and spent condoms they find lying about to avoid the risk of getting diseases.