It is estimated that 1.4 per cent of pregnant women in the Northern Region are infected by HIV, the virus that may lead to the dreaded Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).

The acting chairman of the Northern Regional branch of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), Dr Sampson Aning Abankwah made this known at the launch of activities to mark this year's Health Week in Tamale.

Dr Abankwah, who is also the Senior Medical Officer in charge of the Children's Ward of the Tamale Regional Hospital, said the region has so far recorded 1,896 cases of HIV/AIDS, representing 4.3 per cent. The Bole District tops in the number of cases with more than 58 cases recorded last year. He therefore appealed to the people to change their sexual behaviour by either abstaining from sex or using the condoms.

The Senior Medical Officer in charge of Public Health, Dr Akwasi Twumasi, cautioned the people not to be taken in by the low figures of AIDS cases often mentioned for the north as this might not be the true picture of the situation. He advised the youth to practise safe sex to avoid being infected with the disease.

Government has said that it considers the health of the people as its major priority and would therefore continue to train and retrain health personnel to save lives. Stakeholders in the health sector have however been asked to intensify their educational campaign to make the people aware of the AIDS pandemic

Meanwhile, the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) has urged African parliamentarians to play a key role in the fight against HIV/AIDS and promote gender equity and human rights. The AIDS pandemic bears ugly marks of the highly visible damage on all aspect of life including food production, extinction of populations and social danger of the risk of stunting malnutrition of orphans.

The UNFPA Representative on HIV/AIDS Moses Mukasa, painting a gloomy picture on the toll the AIDS is taking on Africa said "effective leadership and social mobilisation may present us with the greatest weapon yet against the disease".