Media asked to assist in HIV/AIDS education

Sekondi, Oct 3, GNA - Mr Benjamin Whyte, Western Regional Population Officer, on Friday called on people in the region wage war on HIV/AIDS because of a high prevalence rate of six percent. Mr Whyte, who made the call at a day's seminar for the media on the disease, was speaking on "HIV/AIDS-Modes of transmission, relevant information and interventions".

He said the statistics that was compiled at the Eikwe Hospital places the region second to the Eastern Region in terms of the prevalence rate of HIV.

Mr Whyte said the high prevalence rate is due to influx of migrants from Cote d'Ivoire, Sierra Leone and Togo.

Mr Emmanuel Papa Assan, Regional Youth Coordinator, said people living with HIV/AIDS continue to experience stigma and discrimination in the form of loss of employment, travel, health care and other social amenities, ostracism, hostility and violence.

He suggested to the media and those dealing with the media on HIV related issues to encourage regular capacity building of media personnel to adequately report on HIV/AIDS and the use of responsible language in material produced for mass dissemination.