HIV/AIDs cases keep on increasing in the Kwahu South District

Bepong (E/R), Dec. 29, GNA - For the past three years, reported HIV cases keep increasing in the Kwahu South District despite intensive educational programmes on the dangers of the disease by Non-Governmental Organizations(NGOs), Community Based Organizations (CBOs) and other organisations the district.

According to the District Director of Health Services, Dr Joseph Larbi Opare, 75 people out of 853 tested positive during a blood screening exercise at the Kwahu Government hospital in 2004 while 128 people also tested positive out of 958 people during similar exercise in 2005.

He said 116 people again tested positive out 972 people screened during the exercise in October this year.

Dr Opare came out with this statistics at a ceremony to mark this year's World Aids day celebration in the district at Bepong. He said these were reported cases at the hospital alone and hoped a higher number of HIV/AIDs cases could be found in the various communities.

Dr. Opare therefore advised the youth and school children, who are mostly affected to avoid pre-marital sex or use condoms if they wanted to engage in casual sex to avoid the spread of the disease. The District monitoring and Evaluation focal person on HIV/AIDS, Mr Seth Kofi Kpodgi said since the detection of the disease in the country 25 years ago, the district assembly, schools, religious organisations and multitude of NGOs and CBOs have responded with HIV/AIDs education and prevention programmes in the district to control the spread of the disease.

He said apart from the multi-sectoral HIV/AIDs programmes, the district was also benefiting from HIV/AIDs prevention through education project being sponsored by the Japanese International Co-operation Agency (JICA) in collaboration with the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG), which is being implemented in 20 communities for the youth between the ages of 10 to 24 years.

Mr. Kpodgi said under the project, film shows, drama performance, condom distributions and peer educated meetings were organized in the selected communities.

The District Chief Executive, Nana Onwona Asante said the assembly is supporting the HIV/AIDs programmes and urged parents to educate their children on safe sex to avoid pre-marital sex to enable them to complete their education to become responsible adults.