Ghanaians called upon to join hands to fight against homosexuality to reduce HIV

A Community Development Practitioner, Yahaya Mohammed has called on Churches, Muslims, Traditional rulers, Stakeholders, authorities and all concerned citizens of Ghana to come together and fight against homosexuality to reducing HIV prevalent.

He said homosexuality is against the cultural practice, norms and values of the country and hence should not be entertained.

Speaking at the launch of a book titled; "Fighting Against Homosexuality and HIV/AIDS in Ghana" at Kumasi Central Mosque on Saturday 2 December, 2017, the author of the book, Yahaya Mohammed stated that aside the culture practice, values and norms in the country, the practice of homosexuality had a health implications such as HIV/AIDS.

He indicated that the first reported cases of HIV/AIDS in the world was only among gay men leading to its initial name "Gay Related Immune Deficiency Syndrome (GRID)", before it was later changed to Human Immune Virus (HIV). To this end Yahaya believes that if the practice of homosexuality is legalized in Ghana the rate of HIV/AIDS will increase.

“In spite of the various interventions by the government and non - governmental organizations to curb the spread of the HIV/AIDS, the prevalence rate is still high. It is my expectation that the recent reported cases of homosexuality are going to aggravate the HIV/AIDS situation," he noted.

"It was reported on a front page of 30th May 2011 edition of the Daily Graphic Newspaper that 8000 homosexuals including students in Junior High Schools, Senior High Schools, universities and many more have been registered by Non - Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in the Western region and some parts of the Central Region with majority of them infected with Sexual Transmitted Diseases (STDs) including HIV/AIDS.," he indicated.

"It also came out that more than 2,900 homosexuals have been registered in the two regions in 2008 with most of them testing not only positive for STDs but also for HIV/AIDS," he added. President Nana Akufo-Addo has said a change in the law to decriminalize homosexuality is not of concern to Ghanaians at present.

The President, once a human rights activist and a lawyer, however, said if activism in favour of the legalization of homosexuality heightens, that could trigger a change in Ghana’s laws.

“I think it is something that is bound to happen like elsewhere in the world.” But he says “it is not so far a matter which is on the agenda”.

However, Yahaya Mohammed passionately appealed to the President Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo Addo to come out clearly on the issue of homosexuality and take a bold step to pass a law that would severely deal with those currently involved in such practices.

“The Quran and Bible make it clear that homosexuality was inconsistent with the will of God and must be avoided. Even Traditionalist abhor homosexuality, we must take a bold step to pass a law that would severely deal with those who are currently involved in such practices," he said.