Breast Feeding Can Cause HIV - Minister Designate

The Minister Designate for Health, Dr. Richard Anane last Tuesday made a startling revelation about the spread of HIV/AIDS in parliament that sent shocks through the spines of all those present when he appeared before the Appointment Committee for vetting to the position of the Minister for Health.

According to Dr. Anane scientific analysis have proved that breastfeeding is one of the components of the transmission of HIV/AIDS. He said one of the issues he would pay attention to when approved would be how to educate the public on this trend of HIV/AIDS infection to curb the menace. This plan, according to the Health Minister designate to concentrate on how to fight this new trend of HIV\AIDS infection will cut down on the rate at which babies acquire the disease.

He revealed to the committee that the annual rate of HIV/AIDS infection is very alarming and that there was the need to curb its further spread. Dr. Anane said Ghana has passed the 4.6% infection rate mark which has dangerous repercussions on the generality of the Ghanaian populace and that the Ministry will have to direct its focus to that side. On cash and carry, Dr. Anane said it would be abolished with immediate effect as its current form of operation is inhuman.

He added that the NPP is worried about the anguish it has unleashed on Ghanaians and stated that cash and carry would be de-coupled from cost recovery. "The life of human beings cannot be quantified in relation to money and therefore we think that a fund should be created to underwrite the cost of health delivery," Dr. Anane told the Committee.