CBOs and NGOs urged to account for AIDS funds

Nkoranza (B/A), Aug. 12, GNA- Mr. Kwame Gyedu Nuako, Nkoranza District Coordinating Director, on Friday warned that Community Based Organisations (CBOs) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) who fail to account for funds received from the Ghana AIDS Commission for their activities would be denied further support.

Mr. Nuako was addressing about 30 HIV/AIDS volunteers selected from 18 CBOs and NGOs in the district, at a day's workshop on the judicious use of funds received from the Commission, at Nkoranza. He appealed to the participants to utilize funds for HIV/AIDS programmes according to their work proposals and also keep accurate reports on all activities.

Mr. Roland Amenya, District Finance Officer, urged the executive officers of the organizations to involve volunteers in decision-making to ensure transparency.

He said experts from the District Finance Office assist the organizations to keep accurate records on the disbursement of funds to prevent mismanagement and embezzlement. Mr. Hayford Kyere, the District HIV/AIDS Focal Person, expressed concern about the increase in the spread of the disease and urged the volunteers to intensify their sensitisation campaign to help control the menace.

He said the HIV/AIDS Sentinel Survey report for 2006 revealed that about 2.8 million persons in the Sub-Sahara Africa were infected with the disease.

He said during the same year in Ghana, about 266,851 persons made up of 247, 220 adults and 19, 631 children tested positive to the disease adding that the prevalence rate at the period was around 3.2 per cent.

Mr. Kyere said the Eastern Region recorded the highest number of persons with HIV/AIDS in 2006 with Agomanya in the Region recording 8.4 per cent prevalence rate whilst the Northern Region recorded the lowest rate with North Tongu in the Region recording zero per cent. He called on individuals and organisations to support the fight against the disease and advised the public to refrain from stigmatising people with HIV/AIDS.