Fifty-five per of patients HIV-AIDS positive in Ketu

Aflao (Volta Region) 14 December 2001 - An average of 55 per cent of all patients tested for HIV-AIDS virus in public hospitals in the Ketu District since 1999, were positive.

Out of 215 tested in 1999, 114 were positive while 222 positive cases were recorded out of 266 tests carried out in 2000 and 127 out of 181 tested positive between January and June, this year.

Dr. Michael Ahedor, District Director of Health Services made these known in a speech read for the District Chief Executive at a durbar to mark World AIDS day at Aflao, on Wednesday.

He described the HIV/AIDS scourge as the most dreaded developmental problem in the world today, adding:" The African continent alone has buried about three quarters of the more than 20 million people who have died of the disease in the world."

He said Africa currently, accounted for more than 25.3 million out of the 36.1 million people living with the HIV/AIDS globally.

Dr Ahedor said Ghana had 43,587 people suffering from the disease and this was projected to hit 720,000 in 2004 and 1.3 million by 2014 if the current level of infection went unchecked.

He said the indication that almost 70 per cent of HIV/AIDS cases were unreported suggested that the figure of the infected persons might be higher.

Speaking on the theme: "Men make a difference, I care, do you?" Dr Ahedor said men played a crucial role in sexual activity and needed to protect themselves and women in the fight against the disease.

Dr Ahedor said the impact of the disease on households, health and education, agriculture and business was so great that government had braced up to fight its spread.

He said the government's priority interventions have focused on promoting safe sex, condom use, improved management of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), prevention of mother to child transmission and counselling.