Accra, Jan. 8, GNA- Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) and stakeholders on Tuesday signed an Aide Memoire with Ghana's Development Partners to renew their commitment and support to the fight against HIV/AIDS for 2008. The Developing Partners also agreed to support Ghana with a total of 48 million dollar grant for 2008 budget to fight HIV/AIDS.

The development partners included Royal Netherlands Embassy, UN Systems in Ghana, Royal Danish Embassy, Embassy of Japan, World Bank, and Embassy of the United States of America whilst the stakeholders included Ghana Business Coalition Against HIV/AIDS, Ghana HIVAIDS Network and Ghana Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS.

Signing on behalf of GAC, Professor Fred Torgbor Sai, Presidential Advisor on HIV/AIDS and Population Issues said government was still committed to the fight against the pandemic and was eager to fulfil its obligations.

He said though the epidemic seemed to have stabilized, there was the urgent need to step up prevention interventions to reduce new infections, especially for the at-risk groups, whom he identified as the virgins, married women and trekking husbands. The aide memoire was concluded at the end of the third HIV/AIDS Partnership Forum and the fourth Business meeting, which reviewed the implementation of 2007 Annual Programme of Work; reviewed and agreed on the 2008 Programme of work and Budget.

Prof. Sai called for more effective collaborations to ensure that the spread of the virus was reduced to its barest minimum and encouraged Ghanaians to use the three effective ways of prevention- Abstinence, Faithfulness and the use of condoms very effectively, adding, "In fact, if one cannot obey the first two, the third one must be a must". Dr Joacquim Saweka, World Health Organisation Country Representative on behalf of the Development Partners commended Ghana for implementing the planned activities for 2007, which included creating an enabling environment for policy and advocacy, embarking on a national stigma campaign and the legal review of HIV and AIDS law. Others were the coordination and management of Decentralized National Response, mitigating the economic, socio-cultural and legal impact of AIDS, prevention and behaviour change communication, treatment care and support, research, surveillance, monitoring and evaluation, resource mobilization and funding arrangement.

He assured Ghana of their continuous support in the areas of technical and funds and called for the maintenance of the collaborative efforts to achieve the set goal of fighting the spread of the pandemic. Under the 2008 annual plan of work, the UN will provide consultants to assist in the development of the Global Fund proposal round eight, whilst GAC would ensure that there were direct links between gaps identified in 2007 and targets for 2008. GAC would ensure that more funds were allocated to youth activities, including expanding the school AIDS Alert programmes and incorporate comments from partners in the annual programme of work and make provision for expanding and sustain the national stigma campaign.