Syphilis cases in Asikuma, Oda and Cape Coast alarming- Koomson

Cape Coast, Feb.11, GNA - Breman-Asikuma, the capital of the Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa District has the highest number of syphilis cases in Ghana, a survey conducted by the Central Regional Health Directorate has revealed.

Mr. Ebenezer Koomson, Regional HIV/AIFS Control Officer who made this known at a media sensitization workshop on the HIV/AIDS situation in the Region said a total of 333 out of 2280 expectant mothers tested positive to syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease that could cause blindness. He said Oda in the Eastern Region came second followed by Cape Coast, but could readily not provide the figures for the two towns, and stressed that syphilis is a serious disease that could also cause brain damage or a mental disorder, particularly to babies in the womb. Mr Koomson said people with the disease were 80 per cent more likely of getting the HIV virus, adding that it was a challenge his outfit was working around the clock to control.

He however, expressed concern about the frequent transfer of personnel strategically trained by the directorate to help combat the menace, and also appealed for more resources to enable it cover a wider clientele. Mr. Koomson was of the hope that this year the directorate will train more personnel and organize advocacy campaign in all the districts, to help reduce the HIV/AIDS pandemic, which he said, had not gone down despite the reduction in the national prevalence rate of 2.0 per cent in 2009 from 3.5 per cent in 2007.

He said the region has 106 functional Counselling and Testing (CT) sites, 101 Prevention from Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) sites and 11 anti-retroviral therapy sites, and gave the assurance that more CT sites will be created in addition to existing ones. Mr. Koomson appealed to the public to desist from discriminating against HIV/AIDS patients but to treat them with love and care to help prolong their lifespan. 11 Feb 10