HIV/AIDS threatens Ghana’s vision 2020

Ghana's objective of becoming a middle-level income country by 2020 faces a potential threat from the HIV/AIDS disease.

"This threat strikes right at the human resource potential, which is the root of the Vision", Mr Donald Adabre, Brong Ahafo Regional Minister said in a speech at a seminar on AIDS at Sunyani. The seminar, on the theme, "The Youth and AIDS", was organised by the office of the Women's Commissioner and the Students Representative Council of the Sunyani Polytechnic.

Jointly sponsored by the Ghana Breweries Limited, Sunyani District Assembly, Kool-Aid Stores and Apraku Furniture Works, it was intended to increase students' awareness about the disease and its prevention.

The Regional Minister, whose speech was delivered on his behalf, said a medical report shows that last year, 130,000 children were orphaned in the country through the disease and given the rate of infection the figure could hit 600,000 by 2014.

Mr William Saawil Sopiimeh, Regional Health Educator, who spoke on; "Challenges of the HIV/AIDS epidemic to the youth", said over 40,000 cases of HIV/AIDS were reported in Ghana as at last June, out of which 3,529, representing 8.8 per cent were from the Brong Ahafo Region.

Mr Sopiimeh reiterated that there is no known cure for the disease and advised the students to be careful about their sex lives. He said many parents and policy-makers are of the view that involving the youth in discussions and other programmes about sex would rather encourage them to be promiscuous.

This belief and has no scientific basis, he said, adding that the youth face challenges, including ignorance and misconception about the disease, peer pressure and risk-experimenting behaviour which can be overcome through education. He advised the youth to refrain from multiple sexual partnerships saying that increases the risk of contracting the disease.

Ms Ellen Appiah, Project Officer for Youth Programmes of Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana in Sunyani told the students that the best means to avoid HIV/AIDS is to abstain from pre-marital sex. She, however, advised the sexually active youth to use condoms when necessary.