HIV prevalence rate reduces in Central Region

HIV and AIDS prevalence rate in the Central Region reduced from 4.7 per cent in 2011 to 1.1 percent in 2013 as against the national prevalence rate of 1.3 per cent.

The reduction in the prevalence rate had therefore pegged the region on the 8th position, with the Eastern Region ranking first with the highest prevalence rate in the country with 3.6 per cent.

However, the region recorded 5.7 per cent syphilis infection rate, which is the highest in the country.

Dr Angela El-Adas, Director General of Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC), gave the statistics in her address at an HIV and AIDS stakeholders’ advocacy forum in Cape Coast on Saturday.

The programme, organised by Ghana Chapter of the Organisation of African First Ladies Against HIV and AIDS (OAFLA) and GAC, sought to campaign on the prevention of mother-to-child transmission.

Dr El-Adas indicated that though the region had gained massive progress in reducing HIV and AIDS infection rate for the past two years, it needs to work harder to increase its community education and sensitisation engagement to help attain zero infection and low stigmatisation levels.

She said the oil find in the Western Region in 2007 and its spill over population dynamism might have accounted for the high HIV and AIDS prevalence rate in the Central Region, especially Cape Coast due to its close proximity to the oil region.

Dr El-Adas said she is elated that the situation had declined in the region over the years due to prudent advocacy efforts being geared towards the prevention of HIV and AIDS infection, especially from mother-to-child, adding that “though the region continue to experience high teenage pregnancy and syphilis rates.”

She observed that women continue to be the most vulnerable to diseases, saying: “3000 women were diagnosed yearly with cervical cancer in Ghana, not to mention the number of breast cancer cases that took the lives of women,”

She described the situation as worrying, and called for a national and global campaign to check the menace.

The First Lady, Mrs Lordina Mahama said as the First Vice President of OAFLA, it is incumbent on her to use all available resources at her disposal to help eliminate HIV and AIDS infection, especially the prevention of mother-to-child transmission.

She noted, “This was in line with the United Nations global plan on HIV and AIDS prevention of mother-to-child transmission which was key to sustaining the reproductive health of women as well as an HIV-free generation and keeping mothers alive.”

Mrs Mahama challenged all well-meaning Ghanaians to join in her advocacy campaign to help attain a zero HIV and AIDS, cervical and breast cancer prevention, and reduce the stigma and discrimination associated with them to meet the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.

Osabarima Kwesi Atta II, the Omanhen of Oguaa, who was the chairman for the occasion, called on the citizenry to propagate the campaign message to their peers, and also report all HIV and AIDS, breast and cervical cancer cases to recognised medical facilities, and not herbalists, quack doctors or faith healers.

Women at the gathering were offered free HIV testing and counselling, breast and cervical cancer screening, syphilis screening, blood pressure checks, blood sugar testing and body mass index testing.

Reverend David Azumah, who had gained media recognition on his public announcement of his HIV status, together with his infected wife and two other HIV infected women, who formed the Heart-to-Heart Ambassadors were at the forum to share their experiences since contracting the epidemic.

They advised the public to go for voluntary HIV testing so as to know their status in order to save their family members and other close associates from the disease

The cultural troupe from the Centre for National Culture in Cape Coast gave an educational sketch on HIV and AIDS prevention of mother-to-child transmission.