Skip to main content

HIV alert: Greater Accra, Ashanti Regions lead in HIV prevalence rate

   

The Greater Accra and Ashanti Regions are currently having the highest HIV rates in the country, according to a recent report.

This means that the two regions have taken over from the Brong Ahafo and Volta Regions which topped in 2016.

The revelation was contained in the 2017 HIV Sentinel Survey (HSS) and Estimates Report, jointly released by the National AIDS and STI Control Programme (NACP).

In the report, the two regions both had 3.2 percent while the Northern Region had the lowest rate of 0.6%.

The Western Region followed with 2.4% taking the third position and Volta Region occupying the fourth position with 2.3%.

The report also placed Eastern Region at the 5th position, Brong Ahafo, 6th, Central Region, 7th, and Upper West and Upper East taking the 8th and 9th positions respectively.

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.

“The 2017 HSS outcome saw four regions recording prevalence above the national median prevalence of 2.1% with significant increases in the Ashanti and Greater Accra which recorded the highest prevalence of 3.2%. Greater Accra and Ashanti regions have thus taken over from the Volta and Brong Ahafo as the regions with the highest HIV prevalence in 2016,” the report stated.

HIV prevalence among pregnant women declines

The report also found out that the prevalence of HIV among pregnant women, attending the antenatal clinic in the country is on a downward trend.

A linear trend analysis confirmed a declining epidemic since the year 2000, placing the median prevalence for 2017 at 2.1%.

The same cannot, however, be said of the young population – those aged between 15 and 24.

The prevalence among them – the proxy for new infections, rose to 1.5 percent last year, from 1.1 percent in 2016, something which calls for urgent action by all stakeholders to protect this productive group from getting the infection.

Dr Stephen Ayisi-Addo, the Programme Manager, NACP, at a week-long annual National HIV and AIDS research conference held in Accra last week said: “surveillance on HIV forms a critical component in the national response to the epidemic.”

In the last 21 years, data from the report had been used as the primary source for national HIV and AIDS estimates for both plannings and policy interventions.

Source :http://www.adomonline.com

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Respect ban on corporal punishment – GES warns teachers

The Ghana Education Service [GES], has warned that teachers in both private and public schools who inflict Corporal punishment on students would be appropriately dealt with per the guidelines of the service. In a statement signed by the Director-General of Ghana Education Service, Jacob A. M. Kor,  he said “it has come to their notice that the ban on corporal punishment is not being enforced in schools.” “We wish to indicate that Corporal punishment in our institutions is illegal and would not be tolerated in any form” The Service explained that “The directive is in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the right of the child (CRC), which was corrected in Ghana in 1990, and the Children’s Act of 1998 m(Act 560). “We strongly advise that teachers, Educational Workers and staff of Public and Private would continue to exhibit the best professional conduct throughout the entire process of educational service delivery to pupils and students, without having to ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Marry your fellow men if women are evil – Leila Djansi

Moviemaker, Leila Djansi has asked men to marry their fellow men. According to her, men have always argued that women are imperfect and evil. But reacting to such claims by men, she indicated that if men want perfection, they should marry each other. She said “If women are evil and unnecessary, why don’t men just marry their fellow men since y’all are pure and important?  Put two perfect people together. That will solve these issues”. SOURCE: https://mynewsgh.com
Post a Comment
Read more

IGP moves 91 officers, new Commanders to be named next week

Some 91 uniformed senior officers of the Ghana Police Service and many in the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) are moving to new offices in a massive shake-up ordered by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), David Asante-Apeatu. A source in the Police hinted that the transfer is strategic, and in some cases involves officers who have been at their current locations for so many years. The transfers have nothing to do with Thursday’s aagbewoo’ demonstration organized by the National Democratic Congress (NDC). The shake-up has affected four Deputy Commissioners of Police, seven Assistant Commissioners of Police, 17 Chief Superintendents of Police, 15 Deputy Superintendents of Police, 25 Superintendents, and 20 Assistant Superintendents of Police. DCOP/Mr. Edward Oduro-Kwarteng, the 2I/C in the Brong Ahafo Region, has been elevated to a regional commander for the Volta Region as DCOP/Mr. Samuel K. Nkrumah Akumiah, 2i/c Atebubu Division heads for the Brong...
Post a Comment
Read more