Accra: Mrs. Aba Oppong, the Executive Director of Rights and Responsibilities Initiatives Ghana (RRIG), has emphasized the urgent need for intensified public awareness campaigns on HIV/AIDS to prevent the disease from impacting Ghana's productive workforce. She has called for the Ghana Health Service (GHS), the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC), and other stakeholders to enhance advocacy and public education, particularly targeting the youth.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mrs. Oppong highlighted that while Ghana has made strides in expanding access to HIV testing and treatment, public education on prevention has waned compared to the robust campaigns of previous years. She noted a concerning decline in public awareness, with some individuals believing the disease no longer exists or attributing it to spiritual causes. These misconceptions, she argued, result from reduced public awareness activities.
Mrs. Oppong pointed out that the Ashanti Region, including Kumasi, continues to have a notable number of individuals living with HIV. She urged stakeholders to revive the intense awareness campaigns of the past, which previously yielded significant results. Expressing concern over the rising number of young people, some as young as 15, contracting the disease, she stressed the importance of leveraging social media and radio stations for public education.
She called on educational institutions to bolster comprehensive health education programs, equipping students with accurate information on HIV prevention. Mrs. Oppong also urged parents to educate their children on risky sexual behavior, emphasizing the need for collective efforts to shield the youth from HIV/AIDS.
Mrs. Oppong identified stigma as a significant factor in the continued spread of HIV/AIDS, advocating for intensified public education to reduce discrimination. She encouraged openness about HIV status to encourage voluntary testing and stressed the importance of safe sexual practices and regular testing to combat the spread of HIV.
In her concluding remarks, Mrs. Oppong appealed to all Ghanaians to join in efforts to decrease new HIV infections and control the spread of the disease through sustained awareness, responsible behavior, and support for those affected.