Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin has revealed that his colleague Members of Parliament ‘run away’ when they were asked to voluntarily go for the HIV/AIDS test.
‘’I even gave an example that sometime ago we went for a workshop in Koforidua and we invited the Aids Commission people to come and talk to us. As the leader of that committee, I took the lead and said we should go and test, but when I turned back, there was no Member following me. I was the only one who publicly tested. Later about 5 others also went privately to test. Fortunately when the results came we were all negative’’ he said on an Accra based radio station and monitored by BestNewsGH.com
Mr. Bagbin who was reacting to recent reports that he is proposing a mandatory HIV/AIDS test for all presidential and parliamentary candidates, clarified that he made the statement in context and that it was aimed at encouraging voluntary testing and reducing stigmatization.
In his estimation, the buck begins with the leadership, explaining that when members of parliament take the lead in voluntarily testing for the virus, it will encourage their constituents and other citizens to be bold to check their status too.
‘’Fortunately in recent times, there are better medicines that people who test positive can take and live normal healthy lives as everyone else. So it is important that we all check our status, not only for HIV/AIDS, but our general health condition. At least once every year, we can check our health status and I think it is good that way’’ he added.
Source: BestNewsGH.com
