MP calls for a relentless fight against HIV/AIDS
GNA | Posted: Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Mr Godfred Otchere, Vice Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health, said HIV/AIDS continues to generate fear, misunderstanding and discrimination and called for a relentless fight against it. He emphasized that people of all of all kinds need to ponder seriously on how it had been difficult to change their sexual attitudes in spite of the prevalence of the pandemic.
Mr Otchere, MP for Ayesuano, was addressing about 500 midwives at their 5th Biennial General Meeting, which coincided with the 70th anniversary celebration of the Ghana Registered Midwives Association at Sunyani, in Brong Ahafo.
The event was on the theme, “HIV/AIDS Global Pandemic - A Challenge for Midwives”. Mr Otchere said HIV/AIDS is a threat to national development. He therefore urged the public to desist from stigmatising and isolating its victims to help minimize it’s spread. He expressed regret that the increasing infection rate of HIV/AIDS is denying some children of their right to develop and play their roles as future leaders.
He noted however that nurses and midwives are at a greater risk with the pandemic, since they care for the patients living with it. He cautioned them to examine their own beliefs, values, assumptions and attitudes towards the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
Ms Kathlyn P. P. Ababio, National President of Ghana Registered Midwives Association, said the association is committed to prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV/AIDS. She said 32 members had been trained on Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) and the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) programme. She said those members would soon be supported to start VCT centres in their maternity homes.
Ms Ababio appealed to government to peg new charges for antenatal care at 30,000 cedis per visit, 200,000 cedis for normal delivery and 300,000 cedis for assisted delivery to address discrepancies associated with remuneration in the service. She hinted that a sod-cutting ceremony had been performed for the construction of a three-storey multi-purpose Safe Motherhood Training Complex and appealed to the government, philanthropists and other organizations to assist the association to complete the project.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Nana Kwadwo Seinti, expressed concern about the rate of the spread of the HIV/AIDS in the region and called on Midwives to help change the attitudes of people towards it. He advised them to channel their grievances through the appropriate method to the government for redress, “ as the NPP Government is a listening government and will always listen to the people”.
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