More youth contract HIV in 2017

-But prevalence rate among pregnant women declines

The prevalence of HIV among the young population between 15 and 24 years has increased by 1.5 per cent last year from 1.1 per cent in 2016.

The prevalence among the above population is the proxy for new infections.
The increase is, therefore, something which calls for urgent action by all stakeholders to protect this productive group from getting the infection.
This was contained in the 2017 HIV Sentinel Survey (HSS) and Estimates Report, jointly released by the National AIDS and STI Control Programme (NACP).
18,711 Samples
About 18,711 samples were collected nationwide for the report and drawn from 40 sentinel sites strategically located at 17 rural sites, 23 urban sites and 69 antenatal clinics within a period of four months, spanning September to December 2017.
In the last 21 years, data from the report had been used as the primary source for national HIV and AIDS estimates for both planning and for policy interventions.
Greater Accra and Ashanti regions top new infections
The Greater Accra and Ashanti regions are currently having the highest HIV rates in the country.
The two regions both had 3.2 per cent while the Northern Region had the lowest rate of 0.6 per cent.
The Western Region followed with 2.4 per cent, taking the third position, and Volta Region occupying the fourth position with 2.3 per cent. 
The report also placed Eastern Region at the fifth position; Brong Ahafo, sixth; Central, seventh, and Upper West and Upper East taking the eighth and ninth positions respectively.
5.2% increase in Obuasi
According to the report, site HIV prevalence also ranged from 0.2 per cent in the Afram Plains (representing the rural areas) to 5.2 per cent in Obuasi (urban areas), with the city median about 2.5 per cent higher, compared to the 1.0 per cent in rural locations.
HIV prevalence rate among pregnant women declines
The prevalence of HIV among pregnant women attending antenatal clinic in the country is on a downward trend. 
A linear trend analysis has confirmed a declining epidemic since year 2000, placing the median prevalence for 2017 at 2.1 per cent.
Dr Stephen Ayisi-Addo, the Programme Manager, NACP, said the report was a cross-sectional survey that targeted pregnant women attending antenatal clinic in selected sites across the nation.
The regional prevalence rate ranged from 3.2 per cent in the Greater Accra and Ashanti regions (the highest) to 0.6 per cent in the Northern Region (the lowest).
Dr Mokowa Blay Adu-Gyamfi, the Director-General of the Ghana AIDS Commission, said the increase in new infections among the younger population gave cause for concern.
There was laxity in preventive education, and that needed to radically change.
She underlined the need to strengthen stakeholder collaboration, saying “we should not rest on our oars”.
She urged the redoubling of the effort to cut down new infections, and said HIV remained a threat to the nation’s socio-economic aspirations.
“We must halt mother-to-child transmission of HIV in the shortest possible time through the delivery of sustained anti-retroviral therapy whilst minimising sexually transmitted infections among young people.”
There should be availability of funding through domestic mobilisation, to support all relevant HIV programmes, she added.

By Elvis DARKO, Accra

POST TAGS

ABOUT: Nana Kwesi Coomson

[email protected]

An Entrepreneur, Corporate Social Responsibility, Corporate Communications Executive and Philanthropist. Editor-in-Chief of www.233times.com. A Senior Journalist with Ghanaian Chronicle Newspaper. An alumnus of Adisadel College where he read General Arts. His first degree is in Bachelor of Arts - Political Science (major) and History (minor) from the University of Ghana. He holds MSc in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Energy with Public Relations (PR) from the Robert Gordon University in the United Kingdom. He is a 2018 Mandela Washington Fellow who studied at Clark Atlanta University in USA on the Business and Entrepreneurship track.

View all posts by: Nana Kwesi Coomson  

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

ABOUT 233TIMES

233times is a Ghanaian media house which serves as a major source of exclusive interviews ,music and video downloads, news and more.

233times reports on major events,news covering entertainment, politics, sports, business, technology, etc from within Ghana, Africa and beyond.

We have a platform for the amateur artistes to portray their staggering talents ...more...

CONTACT US

For further enquiries, please contact us via our contact us page link: CONTACT

WE ON SOCIAL MEDIA. FOLLOW US


To advertise with us or make enquiries, please visit 233times.net/advertise or call Selorm (Selorm) | Selorm (Nana Kwesi)