Accra (Greater Accra) 15th June '99

A five-day meeting aimed at strengthening the preventive capacity of African countries in responding to HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) opened in Accra on Monday.

It is to focus on the need to evolve specific strategies to lighten the burden of diseases on the continent and is expected to set up a technical resource network on sex on the continent and identify resource people.

Twenty-five experts from six countries including Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda and South Africa as well as representatives of such international organisations as the World Bank, UN agencies are attending the meeting which will deliberate on steps for the implementation of a regional STDs programme.

The meeting forms part of a regional STDs task force gathering organised by the World Health Organisation Regional Office for Africa.

Dr Martin Mandara, WHO representative in Ghana, said AIDS is now a leading cause of death in Africa, replacing malaria and other communicable diseases.

At the current rate of infection, it is estimated that 1,200,000 people in would be living with HIV in Ghana by 2005. At least 600,000 are currently living with HIV, he said.

In 1997, he said, it was estimated that 2.3 million people died of AIDS, worldwide, which represents a 50 per cent increase compared to 1996.

Dr Mandara said, "one distressing fact is that about 90 per cent of these infections are known to be in Africa, giving our continent an immense burden of dealing with and responding appropriately to the epidemic."

There is, therefore, the need to plan and implement activities, which aim at personal protection against infections and transmission, including the empowerment of vulnerable groups with skills for negotiating safer sex practices and improving their economic base.

Mrs. Ama Benyiwa-Doe, deputy Minister of Employment and Social Welfare, noted that "within our society are vulnerable groups that must be reached with appropriate interventions in order for us to make an impact on the rate of spread of the HIV/AIDS."

She said more has to be done to obtain a better understanding of the dynamics of transmission among vulnerable groups and come up with effective interventions to empower and protect them from sexually transmitted infections to reduce their impact on the society.

"Our expectation is that this workshop will come up with a viable and innovative strategies for approaching young people, women and other vulnerable groups to enable them to make better choices about STDs.