Accra, May 04, GNA - Ghana's HIV prevalence rate has dropped from 3.1 per cent for 2004 to 2.7 for 2005, Sentinel Surveillance report has indicated.

This represents 13 per cent decrease in the prevalence rate from 2004 and 20 per cent from the 2003 prevalence rate and the decline observed could be the beginning of stabilisation of the epidemic after steadily rising for five years and reaching a peak of 3.6 per cent. Speaking at a day's dissemination of the report to journalists in Accra Dr Nii Akwei Addo, Programme Manager of the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP); said the decline indicated that Ghana had reached a stage of stabilisation and would present the opportunity to test the strength of the current trend this year.

Dr Akwei Addo noted that Ghanaians should not rejoice over the fact that the prevalence rate had dropped and said the highest prevalence recorded in the age group of 44 years to 45 years was even above five per cent, which was the threshold and 25 years to 29 years age group hitting 3.6 per cent.

He said managing a stabilised situation required targeted messages to different age groups and different geographical and sub-populations and called for an urgent comprehensive approach to address the problem. "This also require that we get new information education and communication messages and materials to be developed to reflect the new strategies in the service, social and entertainment sectors", he said. The report showed a decline in the infection rate among the 15 years to 24 years age group for three continuous years from 3.5 per cent in 2002 to 1.9 per cent in 2005.

The Northern Region had the lowest of 1.2 per cent, Eastern, 4.7 per cent, Ashanti, 3.0 per cent and Greater Accra had 2.1 per cent; Volta Region scored 1.9 per cent; Brong Ahafo 3.3 per cent; Western 2.9 per cent; Upper East and Upper West recorded 2.6 per cent and Central Region 2.9 per cent.

Koforidua still had the highest of 6.4 per cent North Tongu is the only district that recorded zero per cent.

Dr Akwei Addo noted that the survey was to monitor the HIV epidemic, provide current prevalence data for planning, monitoring, evaluation of HIV/AIDS prevention and care activities. It also monitors the trends of syphilis prevalence among antenatal care and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) clients at sentinel sites; estimates and projects HIV prevalence, reviews and sets priorities for intervention programmes.

In all, 18,119 samples were collected from Antenatal clinics from the 40 sentinel rural and urban sites out of which 11,245 were collected from urban sites and 6,874 from rural sites.

Out of the 991 positive specimens screened, 501 representing 51 per cent were true positive, 361 representing 36 per cent were false positives and 129 representing 13 per cent were indeterminate ones. The sentinel population for both syphilis and HIV were pregnant women attending antenatal clinics for the first time and male and females seeking treatment for STIs.

The report indicated that the HIV I, the predominant type of HIV, accounted for 94.8 per cent and dual infection with HIV I and HIV II accounted for 4.8 per cent. Dr Akwei Addo said syphilis recorded a median prevalence rate of 3.6 per cent with the Central Region recording the highest with 19 per cent.

Asikuma Odoben Brawkwa District in the Central Region recorded the highest of 24 per cent with lowest of 1.4 per cent recorded in Upper East Region.

He said rural sites continued to show a higher prevalence in syphilis than those in the urban and rural sites in the Central Region continued to dominate syphilis infection with huge gap between them and other regions.

"The highest prevalence was in the 40 years to 44 years group with prevalence of 8.6 per cent and the lowest prevalence in 45 years to 49 years age group recording 3.8 per cent".

New infection rate among the 15years to 24 years age group were the highest passing the national prevalence rate of 3.6 per cent. He called on stakeholders to use the information in the report individually and collectively to accelerate and expand efforts aimed at the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS in the country. He said laboratories should be strengthened to improve quality of testing, taking into consideration the high attrition rate of laboratory staff, adding "window of opportunity has opened and now is the time to forge forward effectively using our best practices and resources". 04 May 06