Many people had become victims of the devastating HIV/AIDS infection through the carelessness of others, said a senior Ghanaian official, Ghana New Agency reported Friday.

Ghanaian Minister of Education and Sports Yaw Osafo-Maafo said this on Thursday after watching a film on the signs and symptoms of HIV/AIDS as part of World AIDS Day commemoration under the global theme: "Stop HIV/AIDS; Keep the Promise".

For example, he said some victims of HIV/AIDS contracted it because people did not have time to sterilize instruments such as needles and blades in health institutions.

The minister urged Ghanaians to remain faithful to their sexual partners while politicians and opinion leaders should continually educate the public on the subject of HIV/AIDS.

"Say a sentence about prevention of HIV/AIDS in your speeches; we have a duty and responsibility and people should try to come out to keep their promises," he said.

Dr Naa A. Vanderpuye of International Health Care Center in Accra said people should not only think about the sexual aspect of infection but the possibility of being infected through needles that had not been sterilized.

She said taking care of people living with AIDS was a challenging and frustrating task because "you think you are doing your best to keep the person alive but the person's conditions continues to deteriorate and he or she finally dies".

Dr Vanderpuye said it was still better to take anti-retroviral drugs that helped victims and prolonged their lives.

Elizabeth Ohene, Minister of State in charge of Tertiary Education, said continuous education on prevention was the only way to get people informed about the need to be more careful.

Source: Xinhua