[Ghana] Let’s Join Hands To Fight Poverty — Okyenhene

From Graphic Ghana

The Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin, has stated that unless Ghanaians joined hands to fight poverty, the crusade against HIV/AIDS will not yield any positive result.

That, he said, was because most people, particularly women, contract the HIV virus due to their inability to provide their needs and, therefore, relied on others for their upkeep.

The Okyenhene made these remarks when he addressed a large gathering made up of about 300 young men and women, mostly students, who took part in the 5th Okyeman AIDS Marathon on Saturday.

The 17- kilometre race which started at Asiakwa and ended at Kyebi and was won by 23-year-old Anthony Yinie. The Okyenhene led some of the participants in a walk from Asikam to Kyebi, a distance of five kilometres.

The event, sponsored by Cowbell, Newmont, Barclays, Ghana Telecom and others formed part of activities to mark this year’s World AIDS Day which was observed last Friday.

The Okyenhene stated that the fight against HIV/AIDS should not only be on behavioural change to ensure the wearing of condoms and faithfulness among couples but how to eradicate poverty so that people would not be tempted to do anything that would put them at risk of contracting the HIV virus.

It is a fight against poverty, homelessness, child abuse so all of us would play our part in eradicating these problems”.

Osagyefuo Ofori Panin who lit a perpetual flame to launch an appeal for funds for the care of HIV/AIDS orphans called on non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and well-meaning individuals as well as parents to give the necessary assistance to children to grow up as useful citizens.

The okyenhene thanked the sponsors for their assistance in making the event a success.The Abontendomhene, Osabarima Kyiretwie Boakye Dankwa, called on churches to raise funds for the upkeep of AIDS orphans.

The Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Professor Agyemang Badu Akosa, said HIV/AIDS victims could be found in every part of the country and that Ghana was still in an endemic situation.

He said since it was difficult to provide anti - retroviral drugs for all those suffering from AIDS, there was the need to avoid any tendency that would put one at risk.

These, he said, included abstinence from sex, faithfulness among couples and the use of condoms.A Ghanaian physically - challenged person of international acclaim, Mr Emmanuel Kwesi Yeboah, later told the gathering that some wheel chairs would be given out to each of the 10 regions to be made available to the physically-challenged.