Herbs cannot cure AIDS - Medical Officer

Dr Akwesi Osei, Chairman of the Central Region Division of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), says the only solution to the problem of HIV/AIDS was a change in sexual behaviour.

He said although some herbalists were saying that they have a cure for the disease but truly there was no cure.

There was therefore the need for all stakeholders to intensify the campaignon the prevention of the disease which, he said, should be tackled with the same enthusiasm given to winning public support for the stadium disaster fund.

Dr Osei was speaking to newsmen after fun games organised by the association as part of its 'Health Week' celebrations in Cape Coast.

Dr Osei, who is also the Medical Superintendent of the Ankaful Psychiatric Hospital, said the region has recorded 3,000 cases of the disease with an infection rate of 15 per cent and that even though 95 per cent of Ghanaians were aware of the disease, what was left was a change in sexual behaviour.

He said it has become imperative for the media to play an advocacy role by educating the public on the effects of AIDS, stressing that the disease was spreading because of ignorance.

Dr Osei said unprotected sex still remains the commonest way of transmitting HIV virus and re-echoed the advice to those, who could not abstain from sex to use the condom.

He, however, warned the public against the use of expired condoms and asked that they should be properly stored and the expiry date checked before use.

He also called on the public to report all sexually transmitted diseasesto the hospital promptly.