Ghana’s HIV Ambassador, Rev John Azumah set to walk HIV negative woman down the aisle

On the 30^th of this month, and the 1^st of July, history will be made in Ghana as the country’s leading HIV advocate and Ambassador, Rev John Kwarshie Johnson Azumah will walk down the aisle with an HIV negative woman as his bride.

It would properly be the first open love affair between the two opposite statuses in the country’s HIV/AIDS history  since 1986 when it was first discovered.

The would-be couple met about a year and half ago and are already in tandem to live their lives together till death do them part according to God’s purposes despite the fact that Rev Azumah’s HIV positive health knowledge has been an open secret for more than two decades of his life.

They have set June 30, for their traditional wedding and interestingly, July 1, Ghana’s Republic Day, a day Ghana gained its total freedom from it colonial masters, the British for their church wedding.

The traditional marriage and the wedding will be held at Sowutuom Market, near the Light Pentecost Church and Rhema Redemption Faith Chapel, opposite Sowutuom Police Station, respectively.

Rev Azumah tells GhanaPlus.com, July 1, was a day that fell on their heart while considering a date for their special event with no special reasons but could it be divinely orchestrated? heavens making a statement with their union for Ghana to finally liberate itself from society’s misconception of the disease and live in harmony without stigmatization of persons living with HIV.

His bride to be, Ruby, is a beautiful fair skin damsel just like her name connotes and a seamstress by profession.

Serodiscordant relationship and Ghana’s campaign against stigmatization

His union with Ruby is expected to be a landmark victory for the country’s fight against stigmatization of persons living with HIV and one of over 50%  of HIV patients, the World Health Organization(WHO) estimated to be in a serodiscordant relationship globally.

A serodiscordant couple is the one in which one partner is HIV-positive and one partner is HIV-negative.

The Azumahs, HIV Ambassadors

Rev Azumah and his wife, Mrs. Lydia Azumah, made public, they are HIV positive in the year 2011 and the rest have been history.

For some two decades and counting, its been advocacy together with other Ambassadors and the Ghana Aids Commission, support for HIV and Aids patients as well as providing a home for children who through no fault of theirs found themselves with the disease.

Rev John Azumah with fellow Ambassadors (Photo credit – Ghana AIDS Commission)

Rev Azumah with some students during HIV campaign

Death however, laid its icy hands on Mrs Azumah some two years ago.

As Rev John Kwarshie Johnson Azumah and his Ruby begins this extra-ordinary journey, GhanaPlus.com wishes them the very best of everything in the world and joins the thousands of the patients of the disease in and around the world, Ghana most, especially, to say  “No To Stigmatization Against Persons Living With HIV And Aids”.

Source: GhanaPlus.com