The Western Regional HIV and AIDS Focal Person, Dr. Ronald Sowah, has announced that 2000 people have officially been registered as homosexuals in the region.

He has, therefore, charged health workers in the region not to discriminate against them when they visit the various health facilities with health complications for treatment.

“Dispense health services to them without prejudice to their work because it is their fundamental human right to be taken care of when they are sick, “he said.

Dr Sowah was addressing over 200 health workers drawn from the 17 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies in the Western region at a day’s workshop on “Focus Region Project” in Takoradi.

The workshop, which was funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) was aimed at training health workers to be abreast with the basic facts about HIV and AIDS, as well as manage post exposure prophylaxis of blood products and body fluid in the course of their work.

Dr Sowah said health workers are often exposed to various blood bonds and other body fluid such as amniotic fluid, vaginal secretion, saliva, vomit, faeces and sweat that are potentially infectious in the course of their work.

In view of this, he added, health professionals must always wear gloves and other protective gears whenever they are working on patients to avoid being infected, he said.

Dr Sowah, however said that, in the event of getting in contact with such body fluids, health workers must quickly wash the fluid with soap and water as well as reporting to their superiors for immediate action.

The Regional HIV and AIDS Focal Person tasked health workers to promote the use of condoms, sex education, supportive counselling, management of infections and comprehensive care at all times.

Dr. Sowah said he was unhappy with the stabilization of the spread of the HIV in the region, saying in view of intensified sex education and public awareness, the prevalence rate of the virus in the region stood at 2.5 percent as at last year, below the national prevalence rate of 2.9 percent.

He said the Focus Region Project is aimed at educating health personnel in Western, Central and Greater Accra regions on how to reduce the spread of the HIV, malaria and hepatitis.

On his part, the Deputy Regional Director of Health in charge of Public Health, Dr Kwaku Karikari, advised health workers to always abide by infection control practices and avoid being jittery whenever they are exposed to blood products or body fluids.