People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) in the Tema Metropolis on Friday expressed their worry about the high rate of stigmatization and discrimination against them.
Over 1,360 residents of the Tema Metropolis have tested positive to the virus.
Rev John Azuma, Leader of The Positive Minded Foundation, an association of PLWHIV, made their plight known to the Tema Metropolitan AIDS Committee (MAC) during an interaction.
Rev Azuma said discrimination and stigmatization was so high in the Metropolis that it could lead to PLWHIV hiding their status, re-locating from the Metropolis or even committing suicide.
He said while some of them were ejected from their residences because they revealed their status, others lost their sources of livelihood as people refused to buy their wares.
He added that their children were even stigmatized and mocked at by their peers at school, thus affecting their education and their future.
Rev Azuma said even though PLWHIV were aware that stigmatization and discrimination constituted an abuse of their human rights, they were unable to initiate civil actions against people who stigmatized them due to lack of money.
They, therefore, pleaded with the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) and the Metropolitan Health Directorate to intensify their public education on the virus and stigmatization.
People Living With HIV in the Metropolis also pleaded with the government to expand the operations of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to cover their medications, as most PLWHIV could not afford the anti-retroviral
drugs Mr Kwame Brefo-Boateng, Tema HIV/AIDS Focal Person, said last year the prevalence rate of the virus in the Metropolis was 2.0 and that it was their aim to reduce it to 0.05.
He presented 16 bags of rice, 10 cartons of cooking oil, and three cartons of canned tuna flakes, all amounting to GH¢1,500 to four associations of PLWHIV on behalf of the TMA.
The four beneficiary associations are The AIDS Support Association, Positive Minded Foundation, Solace Club and Zag Foundation.
Mr Asare Bediako, Deputy Co-ordinating Director of TMA, presenting the items stated that HIV/AIDS was one of the priorities of the Assembly and
promised its full support to the PLWHIV.
Mr Bediako called on corporate bodies, churches, non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders, to donate generously towards the
upkeep of AIDS patients.