HIV/AIDS Love Life Caravan launched

Takoradi June 15,-GNA- Dr. Roland Sowah, Western Regional Coordinator for HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STIs), on Saturday said measures have been put in place to strengthen the region's HIV/AIDS campaign to further reduce the incidence of the disease and STIs. He was speaking at the regional launching of 2008 HIV/AIDS Love Life Caravan under the theme; "HIV Free Corridor: Time to make a difference" at Takoradi. The programme was jointly organised by the Regional Planning Committee on HIV/AIDS in collaboration with the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Project. Dr. Sowah said the measures were precipitated by the oil find in the region which would bring in more migrants from in and outside the country and the fact that the region is now ranked fifth in the regional HIV/AIDS prevalence rate ranking. He said the region's prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS could go up as a social consequence of concentration of migrants. Dr. Sowah said HIV/AIDS is a major health and social problems as well as other countries and the target of all programmes are to eliminate it. He urged people already infected by the disease not to lose hope because drugs are available to help manage it. Mr. John Ahiable, Project Coordinator of the Regional HIV/AIDS Planning Committee, expressed concern that the region's high prevalence rate of 3.6 per cent, which, he said is above the national prevalence rate. He urged the public to co-operate to make the regional and national corridors free of the disease. Dr Amos Abu, Envorimental Safety Specialist of the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Project said the project, which is being supported by the Global Fund and the World Bank aims at increasing access to HIV/AIDS interventions and provision of adequate information on the disease. 15 June 08