Regional News of Tuesday, 2 December 2003

Source: GNA/AAB

Dozens queue to check HIV status

Aflao, Dec 2, GNA - A Voluntary Counselling and Testing team (VCT) for HIV/AIDS from the Ketu District Hospital, was overwhelmed by scores of people who wanted to know their HIV status after a durbar organised by the GPRTU at Aflao.

The Ghana Social Marketing Foundation (GSMF) sponsored the VCT that was free. The queue was still long as at sundown when the team closed with a promise to return at a later date

Dr Michael Ahedor, District Director of Health, urged people to stop stigmatising and discriminating against people with the disease.

He said such stigmatisation that sent the infected underground could be the major cause of the increasing infection rate in the country.

Dr Ahedor said millions of people are dying of the disease daily with sub-Sahara Africa being the hardest hit.