The Ghana Aids Commission has introduced a programme aimed at preventing a spread of the HIV/AIDS disease among the disabled.
The Commission is currently engaging persons with disability for the preparation of a strategic plan which would include them in the national response to HIV/AIDS, to step up its prevention.
Ms Golda Asante, Head of the Eastern Regional Technical Support Unit explained that the project is aimed at achieving behavioral change among persons with disability living with HIV/AIDS with the specific objective of promoting abstinence, the practice of safe sex and condom use among such persons, while also bringing health services closer to them.
Ms Asante said the project is receiving funds from the GAC which is also sponsoring the Federation of Persons with Disability to organize some HIV/AIDS interventions for their members in the Eastern and Ashanti Regions.
In an interview on the sidelines of the workshop, most of the participants who hailed the project as a very positive step said though much has been achieved at the national level as regards HIV/AIDS prevention, the same cannot be said for the disabled.
They spoke of the exposure of some disabled persons to sexual exploitation of one kind or the other increasing their susceptibility to sexually-transmitted infections including HIV/AIDS, but some sufferers due to their physical challenges, are unable to access appropriate health care, which exacerbates the already dicey health conditions.
“A policy to compel public health institutions to engage sign language professionals at all health facilities to assist in the two-way communication between health service providers and those with hearing impairment for better healthcare provision, would be most welcome” one of them not wanting to be known said.
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Source: GNA