US SnubsGhana In HIV Package

The United States of America have sidelined Ghana in President George Bush’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief package.

The package involves a whooping 15 billion dollars for the next five years to fight the HIV/AIDS pandemic worldwide with special focus on Africa. The package initiated recently with congressional support offers an opportunity of hope to the world’s fight against the pandemic in 12 African countries and two Caribbean Countries.

This was known by US Deputy Secretary, Department of Health and Human Service, Mr. Claude A. Allen, during interaction with newsmen after participating in a forum on HIV/AIDS at La an Accra suburb. The forum was organized by Youngsters Peer Education Programme (YPEPE) with support from the African Development Foundation (ADF).

Mr. Allen explained that Ghana’s prevalence rate was still relatively low on the continent hence the exclusion. He however assured that a collaborative programme had been worked out for the country to ensure that the fight against the pandemic is not jeopardized in any form.

According to him, Ghana had been included in the HIV/AIDS Workplace Initiative Project that was started in 2001 with about 29 million dollars to support 21 projects in 25 countries to reduce the impact of the HIV/AIDS. The US voted 9.5 million dollars for that purpose.