Former Communications Minister, Edward Omane Boamah, has called for mental examination of all persons seeking to lead the National Democratic Congress (NDC) ahead of the 2020 elections.
Mr. Omane Boamah’s comment was a direct response to NDC Presidential aspirant, Alban Bagbin’s suggestion that his fellow aspirants be subjected to compulsory HIV test.
“…We have to include it as part of the qualification of a Member of Parliament; that before you go to stand an election, you go for an HIV test, and so should it be for all presidential aspirants,” Mr. Bagbin said in Parliament when he was making a statement to mark World AIDS Day.
“Hon. Bagbin, on compulsory HIV test, why not add mental state examination too?” Omane Boamah responded via his Facebook page Monday.
The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has revealed that the prevalence rate of HIV has increased by 0.5% among the active adolescent reproductive class of the Ghanaian population in 2017alone.
This was made known during the observation of World Aids Day in Bolgatanga by the Upper East Regional Deputy Director of Public Health, Dr. Josephat Nyuzaghl.
The first day of December every year since 1988, is a day dedicated to raising awareness of AIDS endemic caused by the spread of HIV infection and mourning those who have died of the disease.
This year’s World Aids Day is on the theme “know your status ” with a 90-90-90 campaign which aims to diagnose 90% of all HIV positive persons, provide anti-retroviral therapy for 90% of those diagnosed and achieve viral suppression for 90% of those treated by 2020.