HIV To Infect 1.4 Million Ghanaians

Medical prediction has it that about 1.4 million Ghanaians will be affected with the deadly HIV/AIDS virus by the year 2014 if concrete measures are not taken to halt rapid spread among the adult population. The figure would be an astronomical rise from the current forty-two thousand known infected populace who are mostly adults.

This frightening disclosure was made by a medical superintendent at the St. Michael Catholic Hospital at Pramso near Kumasi Dr. Joe Bonney, on the occasion of the 9th World Day of the Sick initiated by head of the Catholic Empire Pope John Paul II. Dr. Bonney said from a relatively unknown disease two decades ago, HIV/AIDS has turned out into a steady pandemic striking silently and spreading rapidly through sex.

He also disclosed that his outfit over the past eight years has recorded about 906 HIV/AIDS cases with the figure expected to rise if nothing is done about the menace.

"There is therefore a big challenge for all of us to put in interventions to control this pandemic before it gets out of control", Dr. Bonney added. Commenting on the theme of the occasion which was "The Catholic Church and HIV/AIDS in Ghana," he said the fight against the worst form of disease to hit mankind should not be left to the health sector alone and called on politicians, traditional rulers and district assemblies to get involved in the campaign to eradicate or minimise its spread. The St. Michael hospital has since 1992 set up a programme which has created awareness of the disease to over 905 of the population in the Bosomtwi Atwima-Kwanwoma district of Ashanti and is spreading to other parts of the region.

A home-based care and counselling support service for people living with AIDS (PLWs) initiated in 1994 by the hospital is also currently caring and supporting over 30 PLWs within the hospital catchment area, making them live positively with the disease.