from 1.9 per cent to 1.7 per cent
Accra, June 2, GNA- The national HIV prevalence rate has declined from 1.9 per cent in 2007 to 1.7 in 2008, indicating a stabilizing condition, Dr Nii Akwei Addo Programme Manager of the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) said on Tuesday.

The highest prevalence level was recorded among the 25 to 29 year group while the least span the 15-19 age group.

HIV prevalence at the regional level ranged from 1.1 per cent in the Northern Region to 4.2 per cent in the Eastern Region. All regions with the exception of Eastern recorded a decrease in prevalence from 2007 with Greater Accra, Ashanti and Eastern regions recording prevalence of three per cent and above. Upper West Region recorded the highest decline from 3.3 per cent to 1.6 per cent with Volta, Western and Upper East, witnessing a consistent decline in prevalence since 2006.

Presenting the findings of the HIV Sentinel Survey, conducted in 40 sentinel sites strategically located in 17 rural sites and 23 urban sites, Dr Addo said nearly 95 per cent of HIV positive samples were HIV type I with HIV type II recording 3.8 per cent and dual infection of types I and II was 1.7 per cent of the total positive samples. HIV site prevalence for 2008 had North Tongu (rural) again recording 0.0 per cent with Agomenya (urban) recording 8.0 per cent. The HIV Sentinel Survey is a cross sectional survey targeting pregnant women attending ante natal clinics in selected sites in Ghana. The annual HIV sentinel surveillance system was initiated based on the premise that prevalence of HIV among pregnant women is a good proxy indicator of the spread of infection among the populace. Agomanya in the Eastern Region again recorded the highest with 8.9 per cent from 8.4 per cent in 2006 whilst Krachi rural in the Northern Volta, recording the lowest of 0.3 per cent.

Eastern Region recorded the highest of 4.5 percent, Ashanti 3.0, Greater Accra 3.0 per cent, Brong Ahafo 2.6 per cent, Upper West 1.6 per cent, Western, 2.9 per cent, Central 2.0 per cent, Upper East 2.5.per cent Volta 1.7 per cent and Northern Region 1.1 per cent. He said there were an estimated number of 236,151 persons living with HIV and AIDS with 98,306 males and 137,845 females. In all 22,541 new infections and 18, 082 deaths were recorded with 2, 2241 being children.

Dr Addo noted that HIV prevalence among Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) clients almost doubled from 5.7 per cent to 10.5 per cent in 2008 due to increases at both the Adabraka and Kumasi sites with the Adabraka STI site recording a prevalence of 15 per cent. The Kumasi site recorded 6.5 per cent. The highest is in the 35-39 age group.

He explained that the median syphilis prevalence for 2008 was 3.8 per cent with Assikuma Odoben Brakwa still recording the highest rate of 30.5 per cent and North Tongu recording the lowest prevalence of zero per cent.

Projecting from 2008 to 2012, Dr Akwei said the number of Persons living with HIV and AIDS would increase from 1.75 per cent in 2012 to 1.8 in 2015.

The number of persons living with HIV and AIDS would however continue to increase due to the combined effects of population growth and an increasing number of HIV infected persons that were living on Anti Retroviral Therapy (ART).

Total adults need for ART was expected to increase beyond the 2008 estimate of 63,137. A decline in trend was anticipated in children from 2008 estimates of 5,449.

A similar trend was also expected for children who will be in need of Co-trimoxazole with annual positive birth reducing due to improved Prevention to Mother to Child Transmission strategy. Dr Addo called for sustained prevention education targeted at the youth and other special groups to ensure further decline in the overall prevalence.

"The 25-49 years age group also requires targeted messages as prevalence keeps rising up among that age group. The persistent of syphilis in some sites for the past years requires further examination to elucidate its influence on overall regional HIV prevalence". He called for a third STI site to be set up in a region of high syphilis prevalence as a counterfactual to contribute to lessons learnt from a stabilize epidemic with STI service being strengthened to ensure that all clients were tested for HIV.

He commended health workers, the Ghana AIDS Commission , Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service and other donor partners including WHO and DFID for their technical and financial support in ensuring that the HIV prevalence of the country was reduced to its barest minimum and called for more support since "this is the period that we need you most to ensure continuous drop in the prevalence".

Dr George Sipa-Adjah Yankey Minister of Health noted that prevention was the bedrock of the national response and called for behavioural change, Voluntary Counselling and Testing and the expansion of services.

Professor Fred T. Sai, Family Health Consultant who presided reiterated the need to intensify efforts in ensuring that the youth were protected.

He noted that any infection over one per cent should be described as a danger which frustrated development and called for political leadership to ensue the raking of the prevalence for its total decrease.

02 June 09