The Janok Foundation, a community-based Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) in the Ablekuma Central Municipality, has organised free HIV/AIDS screening for members of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union at Odorkor in Accra.
The exercise, which saw more than 100 drivers and passengers being screened, formed part of the organisation’s activities to create awareness on the causes of HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis (TB) among other diseases.
They were examined for blood pressure levels, HIV status and TB by medical personnel from the Ablekuma North Municipal Health Directorate.
Madam Jane Amerley Oku, the Chief Executive of Janok Foundation, in an interview with the Ghana
News Agency, said the importance of good health could not be overemphasised and advised drivers to check their health status regularly to prevent diseases.
She said people diagnosed with TB often neglected taking their drugs even with the free medication, with the belief that they were well, and urged them to strictly take their medication to prevent the spread of the disease.
‘“We want more people, apart from our awareness programme, to voluntarily go and test for TB and HIV/AIDS to enhance national efforts at reducing these infections,” she said.
Madam Oku urged the public to be mindful of HIV/AIDS and TB as they did with COVID-19 because those infections still existed.
Mr Joseph K. Boateng, the HIV/AIDS focal person, Ablekuma North Health Directorate, advised the beneficiaries to develop the culture of checking their health status regularly to avoid diseases.
He assured the NGO of the Directorate’s support in their quest to ensure healthy living for the citizenry.
