Mankessim, July 9, GNA - The International Labor Organization (ILO) HIV/AIDS Coordinator, Mrs. Akua Ofori-Asumadu, has said though in Ghana the informal sector of the economy commands about 86 per cent of the workforce, developing HIV/AIDS policies and implementation programmes for the sector face many challenges.

Unstructured and high mobile population, low socio economic and literacy status and poor access to information and services, she said, were some of the challenges facing implementation of HIV programmes in the informal economy.

Mrs. Ofori-Assumadu said this at "Dissemination of Informal Sector HIV/AIDS workplace Policy and at ILO Code of Practice in Ghanaians Languages" launching at Mankessim.

She said a report on sentinel survey conducted in 2008 showed that the highest prevalence rate could be found in the productive ages of 15-24 years, and urged workforce to focus more on these age groups in their HIV programmes.

Mrs. Ofori-Assumadu said a national sentinel survey of 2007 some alarming report of 35 per cent rate for commercial sex workers, and 25 per cent for men who have sex with men.

She said these two groups had been identified as the source of bringing HIV infection into workforce and called for more action to reduce the prevalence in the groups.

"The ILO workplace programme office in Ghana has made considerable achievements through collaboration with the Ghana AIDS Commission and its tripartite partners, Ghana Business Coalition, Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and the Informal Sector," she stated. Mr. John Nimoh, Informal Sector Education Steering committee Chairman, said the committee believed that since the informal sector is a major player in the country's development agenda, equal attention must be given by government and partners to the formal sector and the informal sector in prevention of HIV/AIDS.

He said that would prevent the informal sector from eroding the gains so far made in prevention of the disease. Mr. Neile Arkaah, Focal Person for the Mfantseman Municipal Business Advisory Centre, appealed to parents and teachers to give sexual education to children.

"It is time we teach children the realities of life and stop making sex education a taboo in the home and the school," he said. Osagyefo Amanfo Edu VI, Omanhene of Mankessim who chaired the programme, urged Ghanaians to make good use of materials produced by the ILO to fight HIV/AIDS at the workplace.