SEKONDI, GHANA: A total of 160,000 children in Ghana have become orphans since HIV and AIDS were detected in the country in 1986, says Dr Fred Nana Poku, the Technical Manager of the Ghana AIDS Commission. 

Speaking at a one-day day regional review meeting with stakeholders in the health sector in Sekondi in Western Region (Province) Thursday, Dr Poku said the situation called for a pragmatic approach involving stakeholders to ensure that the menace was reduced drastically.

He stressed the need for the people to lead responsible lives and adhere strictly to counselling offered by experts to prevent contracting the disease, which was gradually devastating the country's productive youth.

The review meeting was attended by focal persons on AIDS, medical doctors, nurses, care givers and service providers.

Reports submitted at the meeting mentioned inadequate allowances for service providers, delays in submission of reports by service providers, the deplorable road network, and lack of treated bed nets for bedridden clients among the challenges undermining efforts to combat HIV and AIDS in the country.

Bismark Obeng Kusi, the Programme Officer of the Opportunity Industrialisation Centre International, a non-governmental organization (NGO), pointed out that since HIV/AIDS was detected in the country, much attention had been given to People Living With HIV and AIDS (PLWHAs)to lead normal lives in order to prolong their lifespan.

The PLWHAs and HIV/AIDS orphans are also supported with counselling and support in cash or in kind to enable them lead normal lives.

David Yaro, the Chief Director at the Western Region Co-ordinating Council, asked the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to endeavour to release some of their share of the District Assemblies’ Common Fund to support HIV/AIDS programmes so that the productive youth would be in good condition to contribute their quota to the socio-economic development of the nation.

He said HIV/AIDS service providers should submit data on their work to the MMDAs to help in the monitoring of their performance in order to win more support for their work.

- Bernama