Accra, June 30, GNA - Professor Sakyi Awuku Amoa, Director-General of Ghana AIDS Commission on Friday called on the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service to shift attention from women in their reproductive health programmes to men since the role of men have been overshadowed.

Citing HIV/AIDS as an example, Prof. Awuku Amoah said women were at the receiving end of the disease with 63 per cent of the 400,000 infected persons in Ghana being women and girls whilst men were the drivers of the disease.

He explained that it was difficult for women in relationships, especially marriage to request that their partners used condoms during sexual intercourse and men needed to be educated on these issues. "Men's involvement in advocacy work with regards to awareness creation, education and condom usage protecting the rights of women's groups for care and support for Persons Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs) is woefully lacking".

Prof. Awuku-Amoa said this when he addressed the sixth annual forum for the West African Nobles (WANF) on HIV/AIDS Support and Care in Accra.

The WANF is non-governmental organisation that sensitises the public to say no to dishonesty, injustice, immorality and abhor corrupt practices and live uprightly.

Prof. Awuku-Amoah noted that women accounted for 60 per cent of all infections in the sub-region and were subjected to all forms of marginalisation, poverty, cultural pressures and fewer opportunities to education with a resultant higher level illiteracy and unemployment with their human rights often violated.

He said called on WANF to mobilise men's support to educate men for them to appreciate their roles in supporting PLWHAs. Dr. Gladys Ashitey, a deputy Minister of Health called for a change in the tactics and find new ways of addressing the HIV/AIDS menace. She expressed concern about the rate of stigmatisation meted out to PLWHAs and called on Ghanaians to exhibit love and care for such people. Members who distinguished themselves in the discharge of their duty were honoured with a plaque and a certificate. 30 June 06