Women living with HIV and AIDS in Ghana are decrying high public stigmatisation and discrimination, which they say is slowing down their treatment and development processes.
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Public stigmatisation is slowing down HIV treatment in Ghana
Though, patients say they are placed on anti-retroviral therapy, they still go through what they describe as serious "mental torture".
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Some patients who spoke to Ghana News Agency attributed the spread of the disease partly to the stigmatisation of some of the women living with the disease.
"Because we take our drugs regularly, we look very nice and attractive. Nothing will tell you that some of us live with the disease, and so we are warning the general public to desist from stigmatising us," a patient said.
Some clergy, church leaders and health workers were also faulted for spreading patients HIV status.
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Report form the Ghana Aids Commission shows that the disease is very high and fast spreading in the country's Sunyani Municipality.
Lydia Bawa, a legal practitioner, believes it is an offence to stigmatise and discriminate HIV/AIDS patients. HIV/AIDS patients had their right to privacy, absolute security and dignity and warned the public against stigmatising patients saying offenders would be prosecuted, she added.
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