HIV infection in children reduces

Alhaji Limuna Mohammed-Muniru, the Northern Regional Minister, has said the country was able to reduce 76 per cent of the rate of HIV new infections in children within three years.

He said 10,000 babies would be born free of HIV due to the antenatal care for HIV pregnant women in the country.

Alhaji Mohammed-Muniru said this during the Northern Regional Celebration of 2014 World AIDS Day held at Damongo.

The event was on the theme: "Close the Gap towards an HIV free generation through prevention of mother-to Child transmission (PMTCT), safe sex and stigma reduction”.

The celebration was to create awareness, show support to people living with HIV and AIDS and also to remember those who have died through the disease and to unite in the fight against HIV and AIDS.

He said the national adult prevalence rate had dropped to 1.3 per cent from 3.6 per cent within 10 years.

He said the Northern Region had recorded the lowest antenatal care HIV prevalence from 2.1 per cent to 0.8 per cent in 2013.

He urged Ghanaians to avoid sex with multiple partners and called on stakeholders in the HIV and AIDS advocacy and other development partners to re-strategise to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Dr Patrick Bampoh, the Northern Regional HIV/AIDS Coordinator of the Ghana Health Service, said over 240,000 people are living with the HIV/AIDS in the country.

He said 6,000 new people were infected this year and about 16 people get infected on daily basis.

He said, “The national prevalence of HIV in Ghana reduced from 0.9 per cent in 2012 to 0.8 per cent 2013”.

Dr Bampoh said for the first three quarters of this year, 151 pregnant women were tested positive out of over 42, 000 who tested.

He added that 123 of them have started taking the Anti-Retroviral Drugs and to prevent their unborn babies from contracting the disease.

He appealed to all pregnant women in the country to take advantage and get tested to prevent their unborn children from contracting the disease.

Alihaji Bakari Kassim, District Chief Executive of West Gonja, called on other stakeholders including the private sector, religious leaders, and general public to collaborate with the government to educate Ghanaians on preventive measures and the patronage of Anti-Retroviral drugs.