The Upper East Regional branch of people living with HIV/AIDS has stressed the need for the Ghana Health Services to provide equal and efficient service delivery to all clients without
discrimination.
The President of the Upper East branch of the Association, Madam Teni Ayupaadu, made the call on Tuesday at a dialogue meeting between
traditional authorities and stakeholders on the need to review and reform harmful cultural practices that infringes human rights, especially women.
The dialogue meeting, which attracted chiefs and major stakeholders on human rights from the region was on the theme "Human Rights for Women, Human Rights for All; The Role of Traditional Authorities in Protecting Women's Rights"
Madam Ayupaadu indicated that there was the need for all nurses to abide the code of conduct and the mission of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to provide equal and efficient services to all clients irrespective of one health status.
She expressed dissatisfaction about the way and manner some nurses still stigmatize people with the disease and noted that this "attitude affects the psycho-social and medical well-being of people of our members".
Madam Ayupaadu appealed that the health insurance facility for the indigenes be expanded to include people living with the disease, since
majority of the victims were incapable of affording the service of medication.
She advocated that the health insurance scheme drug list should cover the Anti Retrovirus; to solve the situation where some family members and community members treat people living with the disease at home.
The President appealed to traditional authorities to reform negative cultural practices that increased women's vulnerability to the HIV/AIDS, especially in the area of given out widows to their late husbands relatives.
The dialogue meeting was organized and sponsored by Action Aid Ghana (AAG).
Mr Gregory Dery, the Programme officer of AAG in charge for women's rights said one of the cardinal principal of his outfit was to fight
against vulnerability of people especially women and children.
He commended the traditional authorities for making an impact on some of the negative cultural practices, including female genital mutilation,
widowhood rites among others and urged them to continue to abolish the harmful practices.