1.2m Ghanaians to get AIDS by 2000?

Nnudu (Eastern Region), 28th May 99 -

It is estimated that 1.2 million Ghanaians are likely to be HIV positive by the year 2000 and that one out of every 20 Ghanaians may be carrying the HIV virus.

Mrs Mageret Novichi, Director, United Nations Information Centre (UNIC), gave the figures at a seminar on HIV/AIDS and related diseases that affect the health of women at Nnudu-Akwamu in the Asuogyaman district on Thursday.

It was organised by the National Council for Women and Development (NCWD) in collaboration with Nnudu Progressive Women's Movement (PWM), an NGO that aims at sensitising rural women on their sexual and reproductive life.

Mrs Novichi said in Africa, people between the ages 15 - 35 stand the greatest risk of getting HIV adding, "it is quiet prevalent among women".

"What makes it disturbing is that 18.5 million would be carrying the virus and more than 5 million would fully develop AIDs through out the world by the turn of the century".

She said AIDs is real, knows no boundaries and does not discriminate hence the concern to combat it by practicing safe sex such as using condoms as well as keeping faithful partners.

Mrs Molley Anim-Addo, chairperson of NCWD told the participants that menopause is not a sickness but a change usually experienced by women when they attain the age of 40 and above and menstruation ceases.

Mrs Anim-Addo said symptoms that are associated with it are frequent annoyance, tiredness, sweat and frustration among others and appealed to husbands and society to be show understanding.

She asked mothers to breast-feed their babies because it is inexpensive and practical to enhance their health.

GRi?/