Daniel Mawuli Tsikata

Understanding Hiv / Aids in a Ghanaian Culture: the Case of Akropong School for the Blind Daniel Mawuli Tsikata

HIV/AIDS has been identified as one of the main challenges facing the world. The adolescents with visual impairment in Ghana seem to be most at risk. The school as modern system accepts the blind and educate them in the residential settings. The causes of HIV/AIDS are based on both traditional beliefs and scientific reasoning. The Ghana government accepts ideas through traditional practitioners which are not possible in the new thinking. The book highlights the government?s support for the role of the home based on strong traditional beliefs and practices and the role of the school based on modernity; this seems double-mindedness - recognizing traditional ideas and modern ideas; this dilemma is signaling a difficult situation. Today the visually impaired and the government are both caught in-between tradition and modernity. The cultural aspects that create the vulnerability to HIV seem important to reflect upon ? both in Ghana and elsewhere. This book serves as policy guideline for interventionists such as: the politicians, NGOs, teachers, parents or anyone else.